Libya vs Nigeria: Oil reserves
Libya
7.69 billion cubic meters
in 2021
Nigeria
5.87 billion cubic meters
in 2021
Libya rank
10th
Nigeria rank
12th
Oil reserves over time
- Libya
- Nigeria
How they compare
Libya currently reports 7.69 billion cubic meters against 5.87 billion cubic meters in Nigeria, a difference of 1.82 billion cubic meters.
That makes Libya's figure about 1.3 times Nigeria's.
Across all 42 years both countries report, Libya has been ahead every year.
Libya ranks 10th and Nigeria ranks 12th of 216 countries.
Libya has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Libya | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.47 billion cubic meters | 2.63 billion cubic meters | 849.63 million cubic meters | Libya |
| 1990s | 4.05 billion cubic meters | 2.87 billion cubic meters | 1.18 billion cubic meters | Libya |
| 2000s | 5.70 billion cubic meters | 4.73 billion cubic meters | 968.60 million cubic meters | Libya |
| 2010s | 7.57 billion cubic meters | 5.89 billion cubic meters | 1.67 billion cubic meters | Libya |
| 2020s | 7.69 billion cubic meters | 5.87 billion cubic meters | 1.82 billion cubic meters | Libya |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher oil reserves, Libya or Nigeria?
- Libya, at 7.69 billion cubic meters against 5.87 billion cubic meters in Nigeria as of 2021.
- What is the difference in oil reserves between Libya and Nigeria?
- 1.82 billion cubic meters, with Libya ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and Nigeria?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2021.
- How do Libya and Nigeria rank globally for oil reserves?
- Libya ranks 10th and Nigeria ranks 12th 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.