The five nations around the world – from the US to Iraq – with the highest outputs of crude oil production
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Each year, the world produces roughly 36 to 37 billion barrels of oil – equivalent to two million Olympic swimming pools per day. Oil has the power to fuel cars and planes, produce fertilisers and pharmaceuticals and even helps in the production of clothing – but it also holds the power to shape headlines, too.
Amid the Iranian war, it has featured prominently in global news following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint where 20 per cent of the world’s oil flows through.
But where exactly does most of our planet’s oil come from? Which nations are powering the world’s supplies?
Read on to find out the countries which produced the most oil in 2025, in reverse order…
5) Iraq – 4.39 million barrels per day
In fifth place is Iraq, which holds 17 per cent of proven reserves in the Middle East and nine per cent of global reserves. Most of Iraq’s major known fields are located onshore in the southern Basra region, the Diyala region east of Baghdad and the northeastern Kirkuk region.
In particular, oil extraction in southern Iraq poses significant environmental concerns – one major oilfield alone pulls about 60,000 cubic metres of water per day from the River Tigris. That water is injected into oil wells to boost production, meaning wetlands are essentially being sacrificed to maintain output.
Economically, crude oil export revenues are a vital lifeline for Iraq. In 2023, oil export revenue – mostly from crude oil – made up an estimated 90 per cent of the nation’s total government revenues. But according to the Wall Street Journal, during the region’s crisis in 2026, oil output dropped to around 1.2 to 1.3 million barrels per day – less than a third of normal levels.
Still, Iraq manages to sell its oil with great success: China remains the nation’s largest buyer of crude oil, accounting for roughly 90 per cent of its total exports.
4) Canada – 4.94 million barrels per day
Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, and has the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves.
The nation is a major producer of bitumen – a type of oil which, in its natural state, is too viscous to flow. To turn it into a usable oil, it must be heated and diluted.
Canada’s largest source of oil and gas is the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, spanning across Northeastern British Columbia, most of Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba. In total, this region covers more than 1.4 million square kilometres.
Almost all – 96 per cent – of Canadian oil production comes from these Western provinces, with the remaining four per cent being produced offshore in the Atlantic.
In 2023, 97 per cent of Canadian crude oil exports went to the US, while three per cent went to Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.
3) Saudi Arabia – 9.51 million barrels per day
Saudi Arabia possesses around 17 per cent of the world’s proven petroleum reserves. In 1949, it produced 500,000 barrels per day – by 2005, that figure had risen to just under 10 million barrels.
The nation is home to the world’s largest oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco, which produces roughly 10 per cent of the global supply. It produces five different grades of crude oil – ranging from Arabian Heavy, Arabian Medium, Arabian Light, Arabian Extra Light and Arabian Super Light. Such a variety, according to Aramco, gives flexibility to meet both consumer needs and rising demands.
Most oil is produced in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Eastern Province and the Arabian Gulf, where about 60 per cent of the world’s oil reserves are located. Major fields include the world’s largest onshore field, Ghawar, and the largest offshore field, Safaniya, both of which are managed by Saudi Aramco.
2) Russia – 9.87 million barrels per day
Russia is a key player in global energy markets, ranking as the second-largest crude oil producer in the world as of 2025. The nation relies substantially on revenues from oil and natural gas, which in 2021 made up 45 per cent of Russia’s federal budget.
It mainly produces an export blend known as Urals, which is a medium-sour crude. Historically, this was the main oil exported via pipelines from Baltic and Black Sea ports to Western markets, but Ukraine-related sanctions have shifted the trade of Urals eastward instead.
Oil and gas production facilities are located throughout the country, but most of the country’s fields are concentrated in western and eastern Siberia.
In 2021, Russia exported around 4.7 million barrels of crude oil per day to countries worldwide.
Russia also uses shadow fleets – ships on which deceptive practices are employed to transport goods and evade sanctions – to move oil globally. The country built its fleet to circumvent the G7 price cap, created to limit the oil revenues Moscow could put towards its war efforts in Ukraine.
According to analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, shadow tankers – either sanctioned or suspected – account for 62 per cent of shipped Russian crude oil exports. China and India are the largest crude oil customers, followed by Türkiye and the European Union.
1) US – 13.58 million barrels per day
The US was the world’s top crude oil producer in 2025, with more than 13.58 million barrels per day – representing a 16 per cent share of global production. The country surpassed Russia in 2018 and, in 2023, became the largest crude oil producer in history.
It produces mainly light, sweet crude oil – but its refineries – constructed in the 1970s and 1980s – are mainly built to handle sour, heavy oils that come from countries like Venezuela, Mexico and Canada. As such, the nation exports much of its light oil to Asia and Europe, while importing heavy oil to use in its own refineries.
Roughly a quarter of US production comes from the Permian Basin, a sedimentary region full of oil deposits spanning western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. More than half of all US oil is produced in Texas alone. Such a fact helps bolster the US against oil price supply shocks amid conflicts like the Iran War, which has caused widespread fuel price surges in countries including Australia.
‘Without the millions of barrels produced a day in the Permian Basin, there’s no question we’d be in much more volatile times,’ said Ben Shepperd, the president of Permian Basin Petroleum Association, the largest regional trade group in the country.
‘The strong production coming out of the Permian Basin, however, helps provide a stable source of energy for the United States and our allies, which can reduce volatility when conflicts arise in other parts of the world.’
Beyond the Permian region, the US also holds several major oil reserves in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.
