- Natural Gas Consumption refers to the total amount of natural gas used within a country during a given year for energy and non-energy purposes.
Global Natural Gas Consumption was 4,010 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023, up 0% on 2022. The Global Natural Gas Consumption dataset from 2015 to 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of worldwide natural gas demand patterns, highlighting consumption trends, market developments, and changes across the global natural gas sector. Measured in trillion cubic metres (tcm), the dataset represents the total annual volume of natural gas consumed worldwide.
Global Natural Gas Consumption moved from 3,475 Billion Cubic Metres in 2015 to 4,010 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023 (+15.4%), an average of +1.8% a year. The series high was 4,024 Billion Cubic Metres in 2021 and the low 3,475 Billion Cubic Metres in 2015.
The gap between the series high (2021) and low (2015) is 548.7 Billion Cubic Metres. The sharpest single-year move was +4.9% in 2018.
Of the 43 countries in this dataset, U.S., Russia and China have the highest values in 2023 (886.5, 453.4, 404.8 Billion Cubic Metres respectively).
Country ranking
Billion Cubic Metres. Sort by any column, or search for a country.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Rank↕ | Country↕ | Share of top | Billion Cubic Metres↕ | vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. | 886.5 | +0.8% | |
| 2 | Russia | 453.4 | +1.1% | |
| 3 | China | 404.8 | +7.2% | |
| 4 | Canada | 120.7 | −2.5% | |
| 5 | Saudi Arabia | 114.1 | −2.2% | |
| 6 | Mexico | 97.60 | +7.4% | |
| 7 | Japan | 92.40 | −7.8% | |
| 8 | Germany | 75.70 | −2.3% | |
| 9 | UAE | 66.90 | +1.2% | |
| 10 | UK | 63.50 | −10.4% | |
| 11 | India | 62.60 | +7.4% | |
| 12 | South Korea | 60.10 | −3.7% | |
| 13 | Egypt | 60.00 | −1% | |
| 14 | Italy | 58.60 | −10.1% | |
| 15 | Turkey | 48.40 | −5.5% | |
| 16 | Thailand | 47.20 | +6.5% | |
| 17 | Uzbekistan | 46.60 | −3.5% | |
| 18 | Algeria | 46.30 | −8% | |
| 19 | Malaysia | 46.10 | −11.2% | |
| 20 | Indonesia | 45.40 | +3.2% | |
| 21 | Argentina | 44.90 | −2.2% | |
| 22 | Qatar | 44.20 | +9.7% | |
| 23 | Australia | 40.10 | −7.2% | |
| 24 | Turkmenistan | 36.80 | −1.9% | |
| 25 | France | 33.90 | −11.7% | |
| 26 | Brazil | 30.00 | −6.3% | |
| 27 | Venezuela | 29.70 | +2.1% | |
| 28 | Oman | 29.50 | +3.5% | |
| 29 | Spain | 29.30 | −11.2% | |
| 30 | Taiwan | 27.90 | −0.7% | |
| 31 | Netherlands | 25.80 | −6.2% | |
| 32 | Kuwait | 22.50 | +3.7% | |
| 33 | Kazakhstan | 21.40 | +0.5% | |
| 34 | Colombia | 13.10 | +4% | |
| 35 | Israel | 12.60 | +4.1% | |
| 36 | Singapore | 12.30 | −6.1% | |
| 37 | Vietnam | 7.20 | −7.7% | |
| 38 | Chile | 7.00 | −4.1% | |
| 39 | South Africa | 4.70 | +9.3% | |
| 40 | Philippines | 3.20 | +3.2% | |
| 41 | Denmark | 1.60 | −5.9% | |
| 42 | Finland | 1.20 | +9.1% | |
| 43 | Sweden | 0.700 | −12.5% |
By region
Billion Cubic Metres, 2023. Each bar is that region's total.
Full series
Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Billion Cubic Metres.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Year | Billion Cubic Metres | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4,010 | 0% |
| 2022 | 4,009 | −0.4% |
| 2021Peak | 4,024 | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 3,871 | −0.9% |
| 2019 | 3,908 | +2% |
| 2018 | 3,832 | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 3,652 | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 3,523 | +1.4% |
| 2015 Trough | 3,475 | — |
Data definition
Natural Gas Consumption — - Natural Gas Consumption refers to the total amount of natural gas used within a country during a given year for energy and non-energy purposes. It is typically measured in billion cubic meters (bcm) and represents the demand for natural gas across electricity generation, industrial operations, residential and commercial heating, transportation, and other applications. This indicator reflects a country's dependence on natural gas as an energy source, the development of gas infrastructure, and overall energy demand patterns. Natural Gas Consumption is widely used to evaluate energy security, fuel diversification, economic activity, and trends in natural gas utilization across countries.
The data includes domestic consumption of natural gas supplied through pipeline networks, liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, and domestically produced gas used across various sectors. It covers natural gas consumption for electricity and heat generation, industrial processes, manufacturing, residential heating, commercial applications, transportation, and other energy uses. It may also include non-energy uses such as natural gas used as a feedstock in petrochemical and fertilizer production where accounted for within national energy balances. The indicator represents total natural gas demand within a country regardless of whether the gas is produced domestically or imported. Data is compiled from national energy statistics, gas utilities, government reports, and standardized international energy databases to enable consistent comparison of consumption trends.
The data excludes natural gas production, reserves, pipeline transmission volumes, storage inventories, and gas losses during extraction, processing, transmission, and distribution unless specifically included in national accounting methodologies. It does not include consumption of natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, coal, refined petroleum products, renewable gases, or synthetic gases unless classified as natural gas within reporting frameworks. The indicator does not measure energy efficiency, affordability, access to gas services, or the environmental impact associated with natural gas use. Differences in national reporting practices, gas quality standards, conversion factors, and estimation methods may result in minor variations in reported consumption values across countries.
Natural Gas Consumption — - Natural Gas Consumption refers to the total amount of natural gas used within a country during a given year for energy and non-energy purposes. It is typically measured in billion cubic meters (bcm) and represents the demand for natural gas across electricity generation, industrial operations, residential and commercial heating, transportation, and other applications. This indicator reflects a country's dependence on natural gas as an energy source, the development of gas infrastructure, and overall energy demand patterns. Natural Gas Consumption is widely used to evaluate energy security, fuel diversification, economic activity, and trends in natural gas utilization across countries.
It serves as an important indicator of electricity generation demand, industrial activity, residential and commercial energy use, and the role of natural gas within the global energy system.
Global natural gas consumption totaled 3.48 tcm in 2015, increasing to 3.52 tcm in 2016 and 3.65 tcm in 2017. Consumption continued rising to 3.83 tcm in 2018 and 3.91 tcm in 2019. Global demand declined slightly to 3.87 tcm in 2020 before increasing to 4.02 tcm in 2021. Natural gas consumption remained relatively stable at 4.01 tcm in both 2022 and 2023, indicating a period of market stabilization following earlier growth. Throughout the review period, the United States, Russia, and China remained the world's largest natural gas consumers, accounting for a substantial share of total global demand.
Overall, the dataset indicates a sustained long-term increase in global natural gas consumption, followed by stabilization after 2021. Consumption growth was supported by expanding gas-fired electricity generation, industrial development, urbanization, economic growth, and the increasing adoption of natural gas as a lower-carbon alternative to coal in many countries. Short-term fluctuations reflected changing economic conditions, energy market developments, and shifts in regional demand patterns.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating the global natural gas demand outlook, analyzing worldwide consumption dynamics, and assessing future energy requirements. It supports market research, infrastructure planning, investment evaluation, and policy development while providing insights for researchers, industry stakeholders, analysts, and policymakers monitoring global energy security, gas market trends, consumption patterns, and the evolving role of natural gas within the global energy transition.
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Definition- Natural Gas Consumption refers to the total amount of natural gas used within a country during a given year for energy and non-energy purposes. It is typically measured in billion cubic meters (bcm) and represents the demand for natural gas across electricity generation, industrial operations, residential and commercial heating, transportation, and other applications. This indicator reflects a country's dependence on natural gas as an energy source, the development of gas infrastructure, and overall energy demand patterns. Natural Gas Consumption is widely used to evaluate energy security, fuel diversification, economic activity, and trends in natural gas utilization across countries.
Global Natural Gas Consumption was 4,010 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023, up 0% on 2022.
Global Natural Gas Consumption moved from 3,475 Billion Cubic Metres in 2015 to 4,010 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023 (+15.4%), an average of +1.8% a year. The series high was 4,024 Billion Cubic Metres in 2021 and the low 3,475 Billion Cubic Metres in 2015.
The highest value was 4,024 Billion Cubic Metres in 2021 and the lowest was 3,475 Billion Cubic Metres in 2015.
Included: The data includes domestic consumption of natural gas supplied through pipeline networks, liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, and domestically produced gas used across various sectors. It covers natural gas consumption for electricity and heat generation, industrial processes, manufacturing, residential heating, commercial applications, transportation, and other energy uses. It may also include non-energy uses such as natural gas used as a feedstock in petrochemical and fertilizer production where accounted for within national energy balances. The indicator represents total natural gas demand within a country regardless of whether the gas is produced domestically or imported. Data is compiled from national energy statistics, gas utilities, government reports, and standardized international energy databases to enable consistent comparison of consumption trends. Excluded: The data excludes natural gas production, reserves, pipeline transmission volumes, storage inventories, and gas losses during extraction, processing, transmission, and distribution unless specifically included in national accounting methodologies. It does not include consumption of natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, coal, refined petroleum products, renewable gases, or synthetic gases unless classified as natural gas within reporting frameworks. The indicator does not measure energy efficiency, affordability, access to gas services, or the environmental impact associated with natural gas use. Differences in national reporting practices, gas quality standards, conversion factors, and estimation methods may result in minor variations in reported consumption values across countries.
The series is sourced from energyinst.org (https://www.energyinst.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1542714/684_EI_Stat_Review_V16_DIGITAL.pdf). It covers 2015–2023 and is reported in Billion Cubic Metres.
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