Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) in India
India: Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) was 28.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Fuel imports in India, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
India recorded 28.0% for fuel imports in 2025.
The figure is down 11.1% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fuel imports in India peaked at 44.6% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 1967.
That places India 16th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) in India, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 8.5% | — |
| 1963 | 9.1% | +8.0% |
| 1964 | 6.9% | -24.2% |
| 1965 | 5.0% | -27.4% |
| 1966 | 3.9% | -23.5% |
| 1967 | 3.7% | -3.7% |
| 1968 | 4.3% | +16.5% |
| 1969 | 4.1% | -5.9% |
| 1970 | 7.7% | +89.7% |
| 1971 | 10.2% | +32.0% |
| 1972 | 11.9% | +17.3% |
| 1973 | 13.9% | +16.2% |
| 1974 | 28.0% | +101.7% |
| 1975 | 4.4% | -84.3% |
| 1976 | 25.7% | +485.1% |
| 1977 | 25.5% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 26.1% | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 33.2% | +27.1% |
| 1980 | 44.6% | +34.5% |
| 1981 | 43.6% | -2.2% |
| 1983 | 30.7% | -29.7% |
| 1984 | 31.8% | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 26.5% | -16.8% |
| 1986 | 15.1% | -43.2% |
| 1987 | 19.1% | +27.0% |
| 1988 | 17.0% | -11.0% |
| 1989 | 19.5% | +14.7% |
| 1990 | 27.3% | +39.7% |
| 1991 | 29.9% | +9.6% |
| 1992 | 29.5% | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 27.1% | -8.0% |
| 1994 | 23.8% | -12.3% |
| 1995 | 23.7% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 29.3% | +23.8% |
| 1997 | 24.3% | -17.2% |
| 1998 | 19.0% | -21.9% |
| 1999 | 28.9% | +52.2% |
| 2000 | 36.5% | +26.6% |
| 2001 | 31.1% | -14.8% |
| 2002 | 31.2% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 30.1% | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 31.5% | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 32.9% | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 34.5% | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 33.5% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 36.7% | +9.5% |
| 2009 | 31.0% | -15.5% |
| 2010 | 31.7% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 34.0% | +7.5% |
| 2012 | 38.0% | +11.6% |
| 2013 | 39.5% | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 38.5% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 26.8% | -30.5% |
| 2016 | 25.0% | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 27.7% | +10.7% |
| 2018 | 33.2% | +19.9% |
| 2019 | 31.9% | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 28.4% | -11.0% |
| 2021 | 29.9% | +5.3% |
| 2022 | 37.8% | +26.7% |
| 2023 | 33.2% | -12.3% |
| 2024 | 31.5% | -5.0% |
| 2025 | 28.0% | -11.1% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 28.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17.8%, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 28.0% is above the median for South Asia, which is 18.8%, 1.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) in India changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | +485.1% | 4.4% | 25.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.7% | 3.7% | 9.1% | 8 |
| 1970s | 18.7% | 4.4% | 33.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.6% | 15.1% | 44.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 26.3% | 19.0% | 29.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.9% | 30.1% | 36.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.6% | 25.0% | 39.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.5% | 28.0% | 37.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
- 13 Sao Tome and Principe 29.3% compare
- 14 Turks and Caicos Islands 28.3% compare
- 15 Myanmar 28.2% compare
- 17 Central African Republic 26.5% compare
- 18 Lebanon 25.8% compare
- 19 Pakistan 25.7% compare
More energy & mining data for India
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 0.7224 % 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 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 7.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fuel imports in India?
- Fuel imports in India was 28.0% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest fuel imports recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 44.6% in 1980.
- What is the lowest fuel imports recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 1967.
- How does India rank for fuel imports?
- India ranks 16th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is fuel imports rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Fuels comprise the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) section 3 (mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.