Saudi Arabia vs USSR: Primary direct energy consumption by source
Saudi Arabia
2,048 terawatt-hours
in 2024
USSR
4,936 terawatt-hours
in 1984
Saudi Arabia rank
5th
USSR rank
2nd
Primary direct energy consumption by source over time
- Saudi Arabia
- USSR
How they compare
USSR currently reports 4,936 terawatt-hours against 2,048 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 2,888 terawatt-hours.
That makes USSR's figure about 2.4 times Saudi Arabia's.
Across all 20 years both countries report, USSR has been ahead every year.
Saudi Arabia ranks 5th and USSR ranks 2nd of 79 countries.
USSR has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 233.09 terawatt-hours | 2,316 terawatt-hours | 2,083 terawatt-hours | USSR |
| 1970s | 287.84 terawatt-hours | 3,912 terawatt-hours | 3,624 terawatt-hours | USSR |
| 1980s | 437.53 terawatt-hours | 4,985 terawatt-hours | 4,548 terawatt-hours | USSR |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary direct energy consumption by source, Saudi Arabia or USSR?
- USSR, at 4,936 terawatt-hours against 2,048 terawatt-hours in Saudi Arabia as of 1984.
- What is the difference in primary direct energy consumption by source between Saudi Arabia and USSR?
- 2,888 terawatt-hours, with USSR ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and USSR?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
- How do Saudi Arabia and USSR rank globally for primary direct energy consumption by source?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 5th and USSR ranks 2nd of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Primary direct energy consumption by source. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Energy consumption is measured in terawatt-hours, in terms of direct primary energy. This means that fossil fuels include the energy lost due to inefficiencies in energy production.