Iran vs USSR: Share of primary energy use by source
Iran
69.5%
in 2025
USSR
34.7%
in 1984
Iran rank
5th
USSR rank
2nd
Share of primary energy use by source over time
- Iran
- USSR
How they compare
Iran currently reports 69.5% against 34.7% in USSR, a difference of 34.8%.
That makes Iran's figure about 2.0 times USSR's.
Across all 20 years both countries report, USSR has been ahead every year.
Iran ranks 5th and USSR ranks 2nd of 76 countries.
USSR has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.8% | 19.7% | 11.8% | USSR |
| 1970s | 14.2% | 25.0% | 10.8% | USSR |
| 1980s | 13.8% | 31.5% | 17.7% | USSR |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of primary energy use by source, Iran or USSR?
- Iran, at 69.5% against 34.7% in USSR as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of primary energy use by source between Iran and USSR?
- 34.8%, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and USSR?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 1984.
- How do Iran and USSR rank globally for share of primary energy use by source?
- Iran ranks 5th and USSR ranks 2nd of 76 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of primary energy use by source. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Measured as a percentage of total energy supply.