Iran vs USSR: Oil reserves
Iran
33.16 billion cubic meters
in 2021
USSR
9.06 billion cubic meters
in 1991
Iran rank
3rd
USSR rank
1st
Oil reserves over time
- Iran
- USSR
How they compare
Iran currently reports 33.16 billion cubic meters against 9.06 billion cubic meters in USSR, a difference of 24.10 billion cubic meters.
That makes Iran's figure about 3.7 times USSR's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 12 shared years of data; in 1980 it was USSR ahead.
Iran ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 1st of 215 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 1 and USSR in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.69 billion cubic meters | 9.85 billion cubic meters | 156.05 million cubic meters | USSR |
| 1990s | 14.76 billion cubic meters | 9.17 billion cubic meters | 5.59 billion cubic meters | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher oil reserves, Iran or USSR?
- Iran, at 33.16 billion cubic meters against 9.06 billion cubic meters in USSR as of 2021.
- What is the difference in oil reserves between Iran and USSR?
- 24.10 billion cubic meters, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and USSR?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 1991.
- How do Iran and USSR rank globally for oil reserves?
- Iran ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 1st 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.