Ranked: Which Countries Use the Most Oil Per Person?

Which Countries Consume the Most Oil Per Person?

Key Takeaways

• Singapore tops the 2025 ranking for oil consumption per capita, at 93.63 barrels per person annually.

• The United States ranks 11th, narrowly behind Canada, despite being the world’s largest oil consumer overall.

• Four Middle Eastern countries rank in the top 10: Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

While major economies dominate global oil demand, the per-capita rankings tell a different story.

Singapore and Curaçao occupy the top two spots, well ahead of major oil-producing nations.

This visualization ranks the top 20 countries and territories by oil consumption per capita in 2025, using data from Eni’s World Energy Review 2026.

Consumption is measured in barrels per person annually and includes international shipping fuel, refinery fuel, and biofuels. As a result, the figures reflect broader economic activity rather than just personal oil use.

Singapore’s Shipping Activity Lifts Its Oil Consumption

Singapore leads with 93.63 barrels per person annually, followed by Curaçao at 84.41 barrels. Both stand far ahead of third-place Brunei, at 43.83 barrels, highlighting the substantial gap between the top two and the rest of the ranking.

RankCountry or territoryOil consumption per capita, 2025 (barrels)

1 Singapore93.63

2 Curaçao84.41

3 Brunei43.83

4 Qatar40.19

5 Malta39.65

6 Kuwait39.23

7 United Arab Emirates36.74

8 Saudi Arabia36.68

9 Luxembourg26.46

10 Canada22.53

11 United States22.10

12 Iceland19.82

13 Belgium18.62

14 Bahrain18.09

15 South Korea17.22

16 Hong Kong16.14

17 Oman15.92

18 Netherlands15.61

19 Australia15.57

20 Norway15.51

Singapore is one of the world’s largest maritime refueling hubs and home to the world’s second-busiest container port, behind Shanghai. Its location along the Strait of Malacca makes it a critical stop for global shipping.

Because fuel supplied to international vessels is included in the consumption figures, Singapore’s relatively small population pushes its per-capita total higher. The ranking therefore reflects commercial and industrial demand, not just oil consumed directly by residents.

Middle Eastern Countries Feature Prominently

Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia occupy four of the top 10 positions. Qatar leads this group at 40.19 barrels per person, while the UAE and Saudi Arabia are nearly tied at 36.74 and 36.68 barrels, respectively.

Oil-intensive industries, historically inexpensive fuel, and relatively small populations help explain high per-capita consumption in several of these economies.

Bahrain and Oman also appear in the top 20, bringing the number of Middle Eastern countries in the ranking to six.

Canada Narrowly Outranks the United States

Canada ranks 10th at 22.53 barrels per person, narrowly ahead of the United States in 11th place at 22.10 barrels. The difference is just 0.43 barrels annually, or about 2%.

Both countries fall below Luxembourg’s 26.46 barrels but above Iceland’s 19.82 barrels, which places 12th.

Which Regions Consume the Most Oil Overall?

Per-capita consumption tells a different story from total oil demand.

The United States is the world’s largest individual oil consumer, followed by China and India. Yet none of these countries appears in the per-capita top 10.

At the regional level, Asia-Pacific accounts for the largest share of global oil consumption, supported by its large populations, manufacturing industries, and transportation needs.

The contrast highlights an important distinction: total consumption reflects the scale of an economy, while per-capita figures can be heavily influenced by industrial activity, shipping, and population size.

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Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-which-countries-use-the-most-oil-per-person/