- 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.
North America Natural Gas Consumption was 1,105 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023, up 1% on 2022. The Natural Gas Consumption dataset of North America from 2015 to 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of regional natural gas demand patterns, highlighting consumption trends, market developments, and changes across the natural gas sector. Measured in billion cubic metres (bcm), the dataset represents the total annual volume of natural gas consumed across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
North America Natural Gas Consumption moved from 934.7 Billion Cubic Metres in 2015 to 1,105 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023 (+18.2%), an average of +2.1% a year. The series high was 1,105 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023 and the low 934.7 Billion Cubic Metres in 2015.
The gap between the series high (2023) and low (2015) is 170.1 Billion Cubic Metres. The sharpest single-year move was +10.1% in 2018.
Within North America, U.S. has the highest value in 2023 at 886.5 Billion Cubic Metres, 80.2% of the regional total.
Country ranking
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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.
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| Year | Billion Cubic Metres | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023Peak | 1,105 | +1% |
| 2022 | 1,094 | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 1,047 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 1,042 | −2% |
| 2019 | 1,063 | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 1,030 | +10.1% |
| 2017 | 935.7 | −0.2% |
| 2016 | 937.8 | +0.3% |
| 2015 Trough | 934.7 | — |
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 requirements, and the role of natural gas within North America’s integrated energy system.
North America consumed 934.7 bcm of natural gas in 2015, increasing slightly to 937.8 bcm in 2016 before declining marginally to 935.7 bcm in 2017. Consumption increased significantly to 1,029.9 bcm in 2018 and further rose to 1,063.0 bcm in 2019. Demand declined to 1,042.1 bcm in 2020 before recovering to 1,046.7 bcm in 2021. Natural gas consumption increased to 1,094.3 bcm in 2022 and reached a review-period high of 1,104.8 bcm in 2023. Throughout the review period, the United States remained the largest regional consumer, while Canada and Mexico consistently contributed to overall demand.
Overall, the dataset indicates a strong upward trend in North America’s natural gas consumption despite temporary fluctuations. Consumption growth was supported by expanding gas-fired electricity generation, industrial development, residential and commercial heating demand, abundant domestic gas supplies, and extensive pipeline infrastructure. Continued fuel switching from coal to natural gas and growing cross-border gas trade also contributed to regional demand growth.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating North America’s natural gas demand outlook, analyzing regional 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 regional energy security, gas market trends, and the evolving role of natural gas across North America.
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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.
North America Natural Gas Consumption was 1,105 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023, up 1% on 2022.
North America Natural Gas Consumption moved from 934.7 Billion Cubic Metres in 2015 to 1,105 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023 (+18.2%), an average of +2.1% a year. The series high was 1,105 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023 and the low 934.7 Billion Cubic Metres in 2015.
The highest value was 1,105 Billion Cubic Metres in 2023 and the lowest was 934.7 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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