Energy imports and exports in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Energy imports and exports was -178.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Energy imports and exports in Saudi Arabia, 1990–2022
Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of energy use.
Analysis
In 2022, energy imports and exports in Saudi Arabia stood at -178.2%.
That represents a change of down 11.4% on the previous year and up 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy imports and exports in Saudi Arabia peaked at -160.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, -580.3%, in 1991.
That places Saudi Arabia 128th out of 142 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Energy imports and exports in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of energy use | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | -529.3% | — |
| 1991 | -580.3% | +9.6% |
| 1992 | -514.5% | -11.3% |
| 1993 | -485.2% | -5.7% |
| 1994 | -444.9% | -8.3% |
| 1995 | -448.5% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | -418.3% | -6.7% |
| 1997 | -433.4% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | -416.6% | -3.9% |
| 1999 | -368.9% | -11.5% |
| 2000 | -348.2% | -5.6% |
| 2001 | -325.8% | -6.4% |
| 2002 | -251.4% | -22.8% |
| 2003 | -304.1% | +21.0% |
| 2004 | -327.8% | +7.8% |
| 2005 | -327.8% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -294.2% | -10.2% |
| 2007 | -260.3% | -11.5% |
| 2008 | -247.6% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | -197.3% | -20.3% |
| 2010 | -174.6% | -11.5% |
| 2011 | -194.5% | +11.4% |
| 2012 | -198.4% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | -196.9% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | -172.6% | -12.3% |
| 2015 | -175.6% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | -188.3% | +7.2% |
| 2017 | -170.0% | -9.7% |
| 2018 | -186.9% | +9.9% |
| 2019 | -177.7% | -4.9% |
| 2020 | -167.4% | -5.8% |
| 2021 | -160.0% | -4.4% |
| 2022 | -178.2% | +11.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -464.0% | -580.3% | -368.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | -288.4% | -348.2% | -197.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -183.6% | -198.4% | -170.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -168.5% | -178.2% | -160.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More energy & mining data for Saudi Arabia
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 1.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 5.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy imports and exports in Saudi Arabia?
- Energy imports and exports in Saudi Arabia was -178.2% in 2022, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy imports and exports recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was -160.0% in 2021.
- What is the lowest energy imports and exports recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was -580.3% in 1991.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for energy imports and exports?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 128th out of 142 countries with data for 2022.
- Is energy imports and exports rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy imports and exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Energy trade, measured as the percentage of energy use. Positive values indicate a country or region is a net importer of energy. Negative numbers indicate a country or region is a net exporter.