Total natural resources rents (% of GDP) in North America
North America: Total natural resources rents (% of GDP) was 1.6% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Total natural resources rents in North America, 1970–2021
Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2021, total natural resources rents in North America stood at 1.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 296.9% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total natural resources rents in North America peaked at 6.0% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2015.
North America ranks 42nd of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total natural resources rents (% of GDP) in North America, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.8% | — |
| 1971 | 0.7% | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 0.8% | +8.9% |
| 1973 | 1.1% | +32.7% |
| 1974 | 3.5% | +224.6% |
| 1975 | 3.4% | -4.2% |
| 1976 | 3.2% | -4.9% |
| 1977 | 3.2% | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 2.8% | -12.2% |
| 1979 | 5.3% | +88.4% |
| 1980 | 6.0% | +12.0% |
| 1981 | 4.2% | -29.7% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | -41.4% |
| 1983 | 2.8% | +13.8% |
| 1984 | 2.5% | -11.0% |
| 1985 | 2.3% | -9.6% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | -56.4% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | +36.1% |
| 1988 | 1.1% | -16.1% |
| 1989 | 1.2% | +8.3% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | +12.6% |
| 1991 | 1.0% | -25.8% |
| 1992 | 1.1% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | -13.4% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | +23.5% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | -15.6% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | -36.2% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | +21.2% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | +78.6% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | -19.7% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -23.4% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | +52.8% |
| 2004 | 1.5% | +18.2% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | +22.1% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | -24.3% |
| 2007 | 1.3% | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | +66.5% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | -62.0% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | +27.8% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | +27.2% |
| 2012 | 0.8% | -38.6% |
| 2013 | 0.8% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -69.5% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | +40.3% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | +43.5% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | +41.3% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | -40.2% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | +296.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total natural resources rents (% of GDP) in North America 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +296.9% | 0.4% | 1.6% |
| 1974 | +224.6% | 1.1% | 3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.5% | 0.7% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 1.0% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 0.8% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.2% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.4% | 1.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 39 Ghana 13.3% compare
- 40 South Sudan 13.1% compare
- 41 Sudan 12.8% compare
- 42 Peru 12.7% compare
- 43 Venezuela 11.8% compare
- 44 Kyrgyzstan 11.5% compare
- 45 Mauritania 11.4% compare
More energy & mining data for North America
- Fuel imports 6.2% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 2.6% (2025)
- Fuel exports 19.3% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 4.0% (2025)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 5.2% (2024)
- Electric power consumption 13,236 kWh per capita (2025)
- Alternative and nuclear energy 14.7% (2024)
- Combustible renewables and waste 4.8% (2024)
- Mineral rents 0.2% (2021)
- Natural gas rents 0.4% (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total natural resources rents in North America?
- Total natural resources rents in North America was 1.6% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest total natural resources rents recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 6.0% in 1980.
- What is the lowest total natural resources rents recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2015.
- How does North America rank for total natural resources rents?
- North America ranks 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2021.
- Is total natural resources rents rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB), published as part of Total natural resources rents (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents (hard and soft), mineral rents, and forest rents.