Global oil demand hit 99.7 million barrels per day in 2022, and transportation used 54% of that oil. Fossil fuels also drove 89% of global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022, when total emissions reached 36.8 gigatonnes. Consumption keeps climbing while emissions remain stubbornly high, setting up the clearest contrast in the data.
Key Takeaways
- Global oil demand reached 99.7 mb/d in 2022
- Global oil production market value reached $3.2 trillion in 2022
- Oil emitted 11.6 gigatonnes (Gt) CO2 in 2022 globally
- IEA projects fossil fuels to meet 73% of energy demand in 2025
- Global proven oil reserves stood at 1,731.9 billion barrels at the end of 2022
Fossil fuels still power most of the world, but their share is slowly declining as clean energy rises.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumption and Demand23 stats
01
Global oil demand reached 99.7 mb/d in 2022
02
US oil consumption was 19.0 mb/d in 2022
03
China oil demand hit 15.1 mb/d in 2022
04
India oil consumption grew to 5.4 mb/d in 2022
05
EU oil demand fell to 12.6 mb/d in 2022
06
Japan's oil consumption was 3.2 mb/d in 2022
07
Transportation sector accounted for 54% of global oil demand in 2022
08
Global natural gas demand increased 0.6% to 3,942 bcm in 2022
09
Europe natural gas demand dropped 9.5% to 412 bcm in 2022
10
US natural gas consumption reached 903 bcm in 2022
11
China gas demand surged 8.7% to 364 bcm in 2022
12
Russia gas consumption was 474 bcm in 2022
13
Power generation used 38% of global natural gas in 2022
14
Global coal demand rose 1.1% to 8,250 Mt in 2022
15
China consumed 4,597 Mt of coal in 2022
16
India coal demand hit 1,192 Mt in 2022
17
US coal consumption fell to 474 Mt in 2022
18
Electricity production consumed 73% of EU coal in 2022
19
Global road transport oil use was 42 mb/d in 2022
20
Petrochemical feedstock demand grew 3.5% to 15 mb/d oil equivalent in 2022
21
Aviation fuel demand recovered to 6.5 mb/d globally in 2022
22
US gasoline consumption averaged 8.8 mb/d in 2022
23
Global fossil fuels supplied 80.2% of primary energy in 2022
Interpretation
Consumption and Demand Interpretation
The world's addiction to fossil fuels, despite our clean energy promises, is alarmingly robust, with oil demand nearly hitting 100 million barrels a day and fossil fuels stubbornly supplying over 80% of our energy while the transportation sector guzzles more than half of that oil.
02 · Category
Economic Statistics25 stats
01
Global oil production market value reached $3.2 trillion in 2022
02
Natural gas trade value was $1.1 trillion globally in 2022
03
Coal export value hit $250 billion worldwide in 2022
04
OPEC oil revenues surged to $1.2 trillion in 2022
05
US fossil fuel production value: $800 billion in 2022
06
Brent crude oil average price was $100/bbl in 2022
07
Henry Hub natural gas averaged $6.45/MMBtu in 2022
08
Newcastle coal price peaked at $400/tonne in 2022
09
Global oil refining capacity: 102 mb/d in 2022
10
Fossil fuel subsidies reached $1.3 trillion globally in 2022
11
Saudi Aramco market cap: $2.3 trillion as of 2022 end
12
ExxonMobil revenue from fossil fuels: $413 billion in 2022
13
Global LNG trade value: $450 billion in 2022
14
Russia fossil fuel export revenues: $380 billion in 2022
15
Australia coal exports: $65 billion in FY2022
16
US shale gas economic impact: $500 billion GDP contribution 2010-2022
17
Global upstream oil investment: $530 billion in 2022
18
Petrochemicals industry revenue: $600 billion in 2022
19
Norway sovereign wealth fund from oil/gas: $1.4 trillion assets 2022
20
Global fossil fuel employment: 12 million direct jobs in 2022
21
Oil price volatility index averaged 25% annualized in 2022
22
Global fossil fuels share of GDP: 4.5% direct in 2022 estimates
23
China coal import value: $70 billion in 2022
24
EU natural gas import bill: $450 billion in 2022
25
Global fossil fuel R&D spending: $25 billion public in 2022
Interpretation
Economic Statistics Interpretation
Even as the world talks of transition, the cold, hard truth of 2022 is that the old energy order remains a multi-trillion-dollar beast whose every shiver sends fortunes and gas bills soaring.
03 · Category
Environmental Emissions24 stats
01
Oil emitted 11.6 gigatonnes (Gt) CO2 in 2022 globally
02
Coal combustion released 14.5 Gt CO2 worldwide in 2022
03
Natural gas contributed 7.4 Gt CO2 emissions in 2022
04
Fossil fuels accounted for 89% of global CO2 emissions from energy in 2022
05
Global energy-related CO2 emissions rose 0.9% to 36.8 Gt in 2022
06
China fossil fuel CO2 emissions reached 11.9 Gt in 2022
07
US energy CO2 emissions fell 0.8% to 4.8 Gt in 2022
08
EU CO2 emissions dropped 2.5% to 2.6 Gt from fossil fuels in 2022
09
India fossil fuel CO2 rose 5.5% to 2.7 Gt in 2022
10
Coal power plants emitted 70% of power sector CO2 in 2022 globally
11
Global methane emissions from fossil fuels were 120 Mt CH4 in 2021
12
Oil and gas sector leaked 35-45 Mt methane annually pre-2022 efforts
13
Coal mining methane emissions totaled 47 Mt CH4 in 2021
14
Fossil fuel combustion caused 8.7 million premature deaths globally in 2021
15
PM2.5 from fossil fuels led to 4.5 million deaths from coal alone in 2021
16
Global SO2 emissions from coal fell 10% to 20 Mt in 2022
17
NOx emissions from fossil fuels totaled 25 Mt globally in 2022 estimates
18
Oil spills from tankers averaged 2.5 million tonnes per year 2018-2022
19
US coal plants emitted 1.2 billion tonnes CO2 cumulatively since 2010
20
Global fossil fuel water use for cooling power plants: 500 billion m3/year
21
Acid rain precursors from fossil fuels peaked at 100 Mt SO2 equivalent in 1980s
22
Arctic sea ice loss linked to black carbon from fossil fuels: 20% contribution
23
Global fossil CO2 responsible for 75% of ocean acidification since industrialization
24
US fracking wastewater from shale gas: 1 trillion gallons 2005-2022
Interpretation
Environmental Emissions Interpretation
In 2022, humanity collectively and quite expertly baked the planet with 36.8 gigatonnes of CO2, a grim masterpiece where fossil fuels held the brush for 89% of the canvas, coal played the lead villain, and the tragic subplot included millions of premature deaths written in particulate matter.
More related reading
04 · Category
Policy and Projections18 stats
01
IEA projects fossil fuels to meet 73% of energy demand in 2025
02
Net zero by 2050 requires 75% drop in fossil fuel demand by 2050
03
OPEC forecasts oil demand to reach 110 mb/d by 2045
04
BP sees fossil fuels at 65% of energy mix by 2050 in STEPS scenario
05
IEA Stated Policies Scenario: coal demand peaks 2025 at 8,200 Mt
06
US Inflation Reduction Act cuts fossil subsidies by $20 billion/year
07
EU REPowerEU plan reduces gas demand 155 bcm by 2027
08
China 14th Five-Year Plan targets coal cap at 4,100 Mt/year
09
India aims for net zero 2070 with fossil fuels 50% by 2030
10
Global oil demand peaks at 105 mb/d in late 2020s per IEA APS
11
Natural gas demand grows 15% to 5,200 bcm by 2040 in IEA STEPS
12
Coal phase-out by 2030 in EU power sector policy
13
Russia fossil exports projected down 40% by 2025 due to sanctions
14
Global methane pledge targets 30% cut from fossil fuels by 2030
15
US permits 2,500 new oil/gas wells/month in 2023 policy
16
Paris Agreement NDCs imply 2.4°C warming with fossil reliance
17
Net zero scenarios: oil production falls 75% by 2050 to 24 mb/d
18
Hydrogen from fossil fuels with CCUS: 40% of low-carbon H2 by 2050
Interpretation
Policy and Projections Interpretation
The future of fossil fuels is a chaotic tug-of-war, where the loud, ambitious plans for a clean energy transition are currently being drowned out by the quiet, relentless chug of business-as-usual.
05 · Category
Production and Reserves30 stats
01
Global proven oil reserves stood at 1,731.9 billion barrels at the end of 2022
02
Proven natural gas reserves worldwide reached 187 trillion cubic meters by end-2022
03
Coal reserves globally were estimated at 1,074 billion tonnes in 2022
04
Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves at 303.8 billion barrels as of 2022
05
Saudi Arabia's proven oil reserves were 267.0 billion barrels in 2022
06
Iran had 208.6 billion barrels of proven oil reserves at end-2022
07
Canada's oil sands contribute to its 168.1 billion barrels proven reserves in 2022
08
Iraq's proven oil reserves totaled 145.0 billion barrels in 2022
09
Russia's proven oil reserves were 107.8 billion barrels as of 2022
10
United Arab Emirates had 111.0 billion barrels proven oil reserves in 2022
11
Global oil production reached 99.0 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2022
12
US oil production hit a record 11.9 mb/d in 2022
13
Saudi Arabia produced 10.7 mb/d of oil in 2022
14
Russia oil output was 10.1 mb/d in 2022 despite sanctions
15
Canada crude oil production increased to 5.0 mb/d in 2022
16
China oil production was 4.1 mb/d in 2022
17
Global natural gas production grew 0.4% to 4,047 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2022
18
US natural gas production reached 1,035 bcm in 2022
19
Russia produced 691 bcm of natural gas in 2022
20
Iran natural gas output was 256 bcm in 2022
21
Global coal production rose 3.5% to 8,254 million tonnes (Mt) in 2022
22
China coal production hit 4,314 Mt in 2022
23
India coal output reached 903 Mt in 2022
24
Indonesia produced 651 Mt of coal in 2022
25
Australia coal production was 467 Mt in 2022
26
US shale oil production accounted for 64% of total US crude output in 2022
27
Permian Basin produced 5.9 mb/d of oil in 2022
28
Global technically recoverable tight oil resources estimated at 2,175 billion barrels
29
Marcellus Shale natural gas reserves in US estimated at 410 trillion cubic feet
30
World coal resources total 15,410 billion short tons
Interpretation
Production and Reserves Interpretation
We have meticulously counted and secured enough fossil fuel to thoroughly cook our own goose, yet we still argue over who gets to light the match.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Fossil Fuels Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fossil-fuels-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Fossil Fuels Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/fossil-fuels-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Fossil Fuels Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fossil-fuels-statistics.
Sources & references
28 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level