Oil reserves in Mexico
Mexico: Oil reserves was 919.92 million cubic meters in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Oil reserves in Mexico, 1980–2021
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters.
Analysis
In 2021, oil reserves in Mexico stood at 919.92 million cubic meters. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 44.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, oil reserves in Mexico peaked at 9.06 billion cubic meters in 1982 and was at its lowest, 919.92 million cubic meters, in 2020.
Mexico ranks 22nd of 216 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Oil reserves in Mexico, year by year
| Year | cubic meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4.97 billion cubic meters | — |
| 1981 | 7.00 billion cubic meters | +40.8% |
| 1982 | 9.06 billion cubic meters | +29.5% |
| 1983 | 7.68 billion cubic meters | -15.2% |
| 1984 | 7.63 billion cubic meters | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 7.73 billion cubic meters | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 7.84 billion cubic meters | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 8.69 billion cubic meters | +10.9% |
| 1988 | 7.73 billion cubic meters | -11.1% |
| 1989 | 8.60 billion cubic meters | +11.3% |
| 1990 | 8.96 billion cubic meters | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 8.26 billion cubic meters | -7.8% |
| 1992 | 8.16 billion cubic meters | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 8.16 billion cubic meters | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 8.10 billion cubic meters | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 8.07 billion cubic meters | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 7.91 billion cubic meters | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 7.76 billion cubic meters | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 6.36 billion cubic meters | -18.0% |
| 1999 | 7.60 billion cubic meters | +19.6% |
| 2000 | 4.52 billion cubic meters | -40.6% |
| 2001 | 4.49 billion cubic meters | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 4.28 billion cubic meters | -4.7% |
| 2003 | 2.01 billion cubic meters | -53.1% |
| 2004 | 2.49 billion cubic meters | +24.2% |
| 2005 | 2.32 billion cubic meters | -6.9% |
| 2006 | 2.05 billion cubic meters | -11.8% |
| 2007 | 1.96 billion cubic meters | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 1.85 billion cubic meters | -5.7% |
| 2009 | 1.67 billion cubic meters | -9.9% |
| 2010 | 1.65 billion cubic meters | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 1.66 billion cubic meters | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 1.65 billion cubic meters | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 1.63 billion cubic meters | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 1.60 billion cubic meters | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 1.56 billion cubic meters | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 1.54 billion cubic meters | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 1.15 billion cubic meters | -25.3% |
| 2018 | 1.15 billion cubic meters | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 1.02 billion cubic meters | -11.0% |
| 2020 | 919.92 million cubic meters | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 919.92 million cubic meters | +0.0% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 919.92 million cubic meters is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.69 million cubic meters, 67.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Oil reserves in Mexico 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | -53.1% | 4.28 billion cubic meters | 2.01 billion cubic meters |
| 1981 | +40.8% | 4.97 billion cubic meters | 7.00 billion cubic meters |
| 2000 | -40.6% | 7.60 billion cubic meters | 4.52 billion cubic meters |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.69 billion cubic meters | 4.97 billion cubic meters | 9.06 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.93 billion cubic meters | 6.36 billion cubic meters | 8.96 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.76 billion cubic meters | 1.67 billion cubic meters | 4.52 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.46 billion cubic meters | 1.02 billion cubic meters | 1.66 billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 919.92 million cubic meters | 919.92 million cubic meters | 919.92 million cubic meters | 2 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More energy & mining data for Mexico
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -0.685 % 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)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 5.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is oil reserves in Mexico?
- Oil reserves in Mexico was 919.92 million cubic meters in 2021, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest oil reserves recorded in Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 9.06 billion cubic meters in 1982.
- What is the lowest oil reserves recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 919.92 million cubic meters in 2020.
- How does Mexico rank for oil reserves?
- Mexico ranks 22nd out of 216 countries with data for 2021.
- Is oil reserves rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mexico data come from?
- The figures come from U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Oil reserves. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.