Oil reserves, per capita in Nigeria
Nigeria: Oil reserves, per capita was 26.84 cubic meters per person in 2021. ▬ Flat
Oil reserves, per capita in Nigeria, 1980–2021
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
In 2021, oil reserves, per capita in Nigeria stood at 26.84 cubic meters per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, oil reserves, per capita in Nigeria peaked at 38.65 cubic meters per person in 2005 and was at its lowest, 21.14 cubic meters per person, in 1997.
Nigeria ranks 23rd of 201 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Oil reserves, per capita in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 37.5 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1981 | 34.9 cubic meters per person | -6.9% |
| 1982 | 33.47 cubic meters per person | -4.1% |
| 1983 | 33.11 cubic meters per person | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 31.88 cubic meters per person | -3.7% |
| 1985 | 31.18 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 30.25 cubic meters per person | -3.0% |
| 1987 | 28.39 cubic meters per person | -6.1% |
| 1988 | 27.61 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 26.91 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 26.19 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 27.26 cubic meters per person | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 27.8 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 27.07 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 26.37 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 25.68 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 29.11 cubic meters per person | +13.4% |
| 1997 | 21.14 cubic meters per person | -27.4% |
| 1998 | 22.27 cubic meters per person | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 29.07 cubic meters per person | +30.6% |
| 2000 | 28.3 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 27.55 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 28.59 cubic meters per person | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 27.81 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 28.18 cubic meters per person | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 38.65 cubic meters per person | +37.2% |
| 2006 | 38.26 cubic meters per person | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 37.57 cubic meters per person | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 36.54 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 35.54 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 35.49 cubic meters per person | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 34.51 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 33.57 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 32.67 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 31.76 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 30.91 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 30.16 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 29.42 cubic meters per person | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 29.06 cubic meters per person | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 27.46 cubic meters per person | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 27.47 cubic meters per person | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 26.84 cubic meters per person | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31.52 cubic meters per person | 26.91 cubic meters per person | 37.5 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.2 cubic meters per person | 21.14 cubic meters per person | 29.11 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.7 cubic meters per person | 27.55 cubic meters per person | 38.65 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.5 cubic meters per person | 27.46 cubic meters per person | 35.49 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.15 cubic meters per person | 26.84 cubic meters per person | 27.47 cubic meters per person | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 20 Algeria 43.33 cubic meters per person compare
- 21 Angola 35.83 cubic meters per person compare
- 22 Trinidad and Tobago 28.25 cubic meters per person compare
- 24 Suriname 22.9 cubic meters per person compare
- 25 United States of America 22.59 cubic meters per person compare
- 26 Bahrain 19.71 cubic meters per person compare
More energy & mining data for Nigeria
- Fuel imports 38.0% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 1.1% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 1.2% (2024)
- Gas production 507.74 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 2,138 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 507.74 terawatt-hours (2025)
- Gas production per person 2,138 kilowatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gas production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is oil reserves, per capita in Nigeria?
- Oil reserves, per capita in Nigeria was 26.84 cubic meters per person in 2021, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest oil reserves, per capita recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 38.65 cubic meters per person in 2005.
- What is the lowest oil reserves, per capita recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.14 cubic meters per person in 1997.
- How does Nigeria rank for oil reserves, per capita?
- Nigeria ranks 23rd out of 201 countries with data for 2021.
- Is oil reserves, per capita rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Oil reserves, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Oil reserves divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Oil reserves ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Oil reserves U.S. Energy Information Administration (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Oil reserves divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.