Mauritania vs South Africa: Oil reserves

Mauritania
3.18 million cubic meters
in 2021
South Africa
2.38 million cubic meters
in 2021
Mauritania rank
83rd
South Africa rank
84th

Oil reserves over time

  • Mauritania
  • South Africa
05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M198320022021

How they compare

Mauritania currently reports 3.18 million cubic meters against 2.38 million cubic meters in South Africa, a difference of 794,940 cubic meters.

That makes Mauritania's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.

Across all 15 years both countries report, Mauritania has been ahead every year.

Mauritania ranks 83rd and South Africa ranks 84th of 216 countries.

Mauritania has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Mauritania South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 15.90 million cubic meters 2.38 million cubic meters 13.51 million cubic meters Mauritania
2010s 5.72 million cubic meters 2.38 million cubic meters 3.34 million cubic meters Mauritania
2020s 3.18 million cubic meters 2.38 million cubic meters 794,940 cubic meters Mauritania

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher oil reserves, Mauritania or South Africa?
Mauritania, at 3.18 million cubic meters against 2.38 million cubic meters in South Africa as of 2021.
What is the difference in oil reserves between Mauritania and South Africa?
794,940 cubic meters, with Mauritania ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Mauritania and South Africa?
15 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2021.
How do Mauritania and South Africa rank globally for oil reserves?
Mauritania ranks 83rd and South Africa ranks 84th 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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Mauritania vs South Africa: Oil reserves. Statizoid, drawing on U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/compare/oil-proved-reserves/mauritania/south-africa/

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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.