Oil rents as a share of GDP in Qatar
Qatar: Oil rents as a share of GDP was 15.3% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Oil rents as a share of GDP in Qatar, 1970–2021
Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Qatar recorded 15.3% for oil rents as a share of gdp in 2021.
The figure is up 44.2% on the previous year and down 49.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, oil rents as a share of gdp in Qatar peaked at 84.4% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 10.6%, in 2020.
That places Qatar 14th out of 199 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Oil rents as a share of GDP in Qatar, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 35.3% | — |
| 1971 | 44.8% | +26.7% |
| 1972 | 49.3% | +10.0% |
| 1973 | 57.2% | +16.1% |
| 1974 | 74.4% | +30.2% |
| 1975 | 62.5% | -16.0% |
| 1976 | 58.2% | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 48.8% | -16.1% |
| 1978 | 48.8% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 84.4% | +72.9% |
| 1980 | 67.7% | -19.7% |
| 1981 | 47.0% | -30.5% |
| 1982 | 35.2% | -25.1% |
| 1983 | 36.1% | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 49.4% | +36.8% |
| 1985 | 37.0% | -25.2% |
| 1986 | 22.9% | -38.0% |
| 1987 | 27.6% | +20.5% |
| 1988 | 24.7% | -10.3% |
| 1989 | 36.2% | +46.3% |
| 1990 | 48.7% | +34.4% |
| 1991 | 27.8% | -42.8% |
| 1992 | 28.3% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 27.8% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 27.9% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 26.9% | -3.5% |
| 1996 | 36.9% | +37.2% |
| 1997 | 33.9% | -8.0% |
| 1998 | 26.5% | -21.9% |
| 1999 | 32.9% | +24.2% |
| 2000 | 40.8% | +23.9% |
| 2001 | 34.9% | -14.3% |
| 2002 | 31.8% | -8.9% |
| 2003 | 33.9% | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 34.8% | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 38.2% | +9.6% |
| 2006 | 34.2% | -10.5% |
| 2007 | 30.8% | -9.8% |
| 2008 | 32.6% | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 23.0% | -29.4% |
| 2010 | 26.6% | +15.6% |
| 2011 | 29.9% | +12.6% |
| 2012 | 28.3% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 25.4% | -10.5% |
| 2014 | 21.5% | -15.1% |
| 2015 | 13.0% | -39.5% |
| 2016 | 11.2% | -14.3% |
| 2017 | 13.5% | +21.3% |
| 2018 | 16.3% | +20.3% |
| 2019 | 14.5% | -10.9% |
| 2020 | 10.6% | -27.0% |
| 2021 | 15.3% | +44.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 56.4% | 35.3% | 84.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 38.4% | 22.9% | 67.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.7% | 26.5% | 48.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.5% | 23.0% | 40.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.0% | 11.2% | 29.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.9% | 10.6% | 15.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Qatar
- 11 Chad 16.8% compare
- 12 United Arab Emirates 15.7% compare
- 13 Gabon 15.6% compare
- 15 Equatorial Guinea 14.9% compare
- 16 Kazakhstan 14.8% compare
- 17 Algeria 14.5% compare
More energy & mining data for Qatar
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (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)
- Fuel imports 6.2% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 4.9% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 2.5% (2024)
- Gas production 1,835 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 588,966 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 1,835 terawatt-hours (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is oil rents as a share of gdp in Qatar?
- Oil rents as a share of gdp in Qatar was 15.3% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest oil rents as a share of gdp recorded in Qatar?
- The highest recorded value was 84.4% in 1979.
- What is the lowest oil rents as a share of gdp recorded in Qatar?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.6% in 2020.
- How does Qatar rank for oil rents as a share of gdp?
- Qatar ranks 14th out of 199 countries with data for 2021.
- Is oil rents as a share of gdp rising or falling in Qatar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Qatar data come from?
- The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Oil rents as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Economic profits generated from oil extraction, measured as the difference between production value and costs, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product.