Brazil vs China: Oil reserves
Brazil
2.02 billion cubic meters
in 2021
China
4.14 billion cubic meters
in 2021
Brazil rank
16th
China rank
14th
Oil reserves over time
- Brazil
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 4.14 billion cubic meters against 2.02 billion cubic meters in Brazil, a difference of 2.12 billion cubic meters.
That makes China's figure about 2.0 times Brazil's.
Across all 42 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
Brazil ranks 16th and China ranks 14th of 216 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 295.42 million cubic meters | 3.13 billion cubic meters | 2.83 billion cubic meters | China |
| 1990s | 632.60 million cubic meters | 3.82 billion cubic meters | 3.18 billion cubic meters | China |
| 2000s | 1.58 billion cubic meters | 3.07 billion cubic meters | 1.49 billion cubic meters | China |
| 2010s | 2.19 billion cubic meters | 3.75 billion cubic meters | 1.56 billion cubic meters | China |
| 2020s | 2.08 billion cubic meters | 4.15 billion cubic meters | 2.07 billion cubic meters | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher oil reserves, Brazil or China?
- China, at 4.14 billion cubic meters against 2.02 billion cubic meters in Brazil as of 2021.
- What is the difference in oil reserves between Brazil and China?
- 2.12 billion cubic meters, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and China?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Brazil and China rank globally for oil reserves?
- Brazil ranks 16th and China ranks 14th of 216 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Oil reserves. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proved reserves, measured in cubic meters, are generally those quantities that can be recovered in the future from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, according to geological and engineering information. Includes crude oil and lease condensate.