Iran vs Iraq: Oil reserves
Iran
33.16 billion cubic meters
in 2021
Iraq
23.06 billion cubic meters
in 2021
Iran rank
3rd
Iraq rank
5th
Oil reserves over time
- Iran
- Iraq
How they compare
Iran currently reports 33.16 billion cubic meters against 23.06 billion cubic meters in Iraq, a difference of 10.11 billion cubic meters.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.4 times Iraq's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 3rd and Iraq ranks 5th of 215 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 4 and Iraq in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Iraq | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.69 billion cubic meters | 8.11 billion cubic meters | 1.58 billion cubic meters | Iran |
| 1990s | 14.59 billion cubic meters | 16.49 billion cubic meters | 1.90 billion cubic meters | Iraq |
| 2000s | 18.34 billion cubic meters | 18.12 billion cubic meters | 217.52 million cubic meters | Iran |
| 2010s | 24.23 billion cubic meters | 21.95 billion cubic meters | 2.28 billion cubic meters | Iran |
| 2020s | 28.95 billion cubic meters | 23.06 billion cubic meters | 5.90 billion cubic meters | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher oil reserves, Iran or Iraq?
- Iran, at 33.16 billion cubic meters against 23.06 billion cubic meters in Iraq as of 2021.
- What is the difference in oil reserves between Iran and Iraq?
- 10.11 billion cubic meters, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Iraq?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Iran and Iraq rank globally for oil reserves?
- Iran ranks 3rd and Iraq ranks 5th 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.