Libya vs USSR: Oil reserves

Libya
7.69 billion cubic meters
in 2021
USSR
9.06 billion cubic meters
in 1991
Libya rank
10th
USSR rank
9th

Oil reserves over time

  • Libya
  • USSR
4.0B6.0B8.0B10.0B198020002021

How they compare

USSR currently reports 9.06 billion cubic meters against 7.69 billion cubic meters in Libya, a difference of 1.37 billion cubic meters.

That makes USSR's figure about 1.2 times Libya's.

Across all 12 years both countries report, USSR has been ahead every year.

Libya ranks 10th and USSR ranks 9th of 216 countries.

USSR has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Libya USSR Difference Ahead
1980s 3.47 billion cubic meters 9.85 billion cubic meters 6.37 billion cubic meters USSR
1990s 3.62 billion cubic meters 9.17 billion cubic meters 5.55 billion cubic meters USSR

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher oil reserves, Libya or USSR?
USSR, at 9.06 billion cubic meters against 7.69 billion cubic meters in Libya as of 1991.
What is the difference in oil reserves between Libya and USSR?
1.37 billion cubic meters, with USSR ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and USSR?
12 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 1991.
How do Libya and USSR rank globally for oil reserves?
Libya ranks 10th and USSR ranks 9th 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.

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Libya vs USSR: Oil reserves. Statizoid, drawing on U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/compare/oil-proved-reserves/libya/ussr/

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About this data

Indicator
Oil reserves
Unit
cubic meters
Source
U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
216 places, 8,283 data points, 1980–2021
Last refreshed

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.