China vs Nigeria: Oil reserves
China
4.14 billion cubic meters
in 2021
Nigeria
5.87 billion cubic meters
in 2021
China rank
13th
Nigeria rank
11th
Oil reserves over time
- China
- Nigeria
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 5.87 billion cubic meters against 4.14 billion cubic meters in China, a difference of 1.73 billion cubic meters.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.4 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was China ahead.
China ranks 13th and Nigeria ranks 11th of 215 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Nigeria in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.13 billion cubic meters | 2.63 billion cubic meters | 504.31 million cubic meters | China |
| 1990s | 3.82 billion cubic meters | 2.87 billion cubic meters | 948.62 million cubic meters | China |
| 2000s | 3.07 billion cubic meters | 4.73 billion cubic meters | 1.67 billion cubic meters | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 3.75 billion cubic meters | 5.89 billion cubic meters | 2.14 billion cubic meters | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 4.15 billion cubic meters | 5.87 billion cubic meters | 1.72 billion cubic meters | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher oil reserves, China or Nigeria?
- Nigeria, at 5.87 billion cubic meters against 4.14 billion cubic meters in China as of 2021.
- What is the difference in oil reserves between China and Nigeria?
- 1.73 billion cubic meters, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Nigeria?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do China and Nigeria rank globally for oil reserves?
- China ranks 13th and Nigeria ranks 11th of 215 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.