The Scale of Global Fossil Fuel Production

 Fossil fuels have been our prevailing energy source for over a century, and the countries still extract and consume an enormous amount of oil, coal, and gas every year.

Visual Capitalist created a stunning infographic using data from BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy that visualizes global fossil fuel production volume in 2021.

In 2021, the world produced about 8 billion tonnes of coal, 4 billion tonnes of oil, and above 4 trillion cubic meters of natural gas.

Most of the coal is used to generate electricity for our homes and offices and has a crucial role in steel production. Natural gas is also an essential source of electricity and warmth for buildings. Oil is predominantly used by the transportation sector, besides petrochemical manufacturing, heating, and other end uses.

Coal

If all the coal mined in 2021 were arranged in a cube, it would measure 2,141 meters (2.1 km or 1.33 mi) on each side—over 2.5 times the height of Burj Khalifa - the world's tallest building.

China mined 50 percent or more than 4 billion tonnes of global coal in 2021. It's also the largest consumer of coal, accounting for 54 percent of coal consumption in 2021.

India is both the second most considerable producer and consumer of coal. Meanwhile, Indonesia is the world's largest coal exporter, accompanied by Australia.

In the Western world, the United States coal production was down 47 percent compared to 2011 levels, and the decline is likely to continue with the clean energy evolution.

Top 10 coal producers

Rank	Country	2021 Coal Production (million tonnes)	Percent of Total
1	China	4,126.0	50
2	India	811.3	10
3	Indonesia	614.0	8
4	United States	524.4	6
5	Australia	478.6	6
6	Russia	433.7	5
7	South Africa	234.5	3
8	Germany	126.0	2
9	Kazakhstan	115.7	1
10	Poland	107.6	1
	Other	600.9	7
	Total	8,172.6	100

Oil

In 2021, the United States, Russian Federation, and Saudi Arabia were the three most considerable crude oil producers, respectively.

OPEC nations, including Saudi Arabia, made up the largest share of production at 35 percent or 1.5 billion tonnes of crude oil.

United States oil production has seen substantial growth since 2010. In 2021, the United States extracted 711 million tonnes of oil, more than double the 333 million tonnes mined in 2010.

Top 10 oil producers

Rank	Country	2021 Oil Production (million tonnes)	Percent of Total
1	U.S.	711.1	17
2	Russia	536.4	13
3	Saudi Arabia	515.0	12
4	Canada	267.1	6
5	Iraq	200.8	5
6	China	198.9	5
7	Iran	167.7	4
8	UAE	164.4	4
9	Brazil	156.8	4
10	Kuwait	131.1	3
	Other	1172.0	2
	Total	4221.4	100

Natural Gas

The world extracted 4,036 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2021. It is equivalent to 7 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas.

The United States was the largest producer, with Texas and Pennsylvania accounting for 47 percent of its gas extraction. The United States' electricity and industrial sectors account for about 1/3 of domestic natural gas consumption.

Russian Federation, the next-largest producer, was the most significant gas exporter in 2021. It exported about 210 billion cubic meters of natural gas through pipelines to Europe and China. About 80 percent of Russian natural gas comes from operations in the Arctic.

Top 10 natural gas producers

Rank	Country	2021 Natural Gas Production (billion m3)	Percent of Total
1	U.S.	934.2	23
2	Russia	701.7	17
3	Iran	256.7	6
4	China	209.2	5
5	Qatar	177.0	4
6	Canada	172.3	4
7	Australia	147.2	4
8	Saudi Arabia	117.3	3
9	Norway	114.3	3
10	Algeria	100.8	2
	Other	1106.3	27
	Total	4,036.9	100