Energy

Visualizing Natural Gas Reserves By Country

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2024

Gopalakrishnan Ravichandran

Featured Creator

Article/Editing:

Bruno Venditti

Stacked bar chart showing proven natural gas reserves by country.

Visualizing Natural Gas Reserves By Country

Natural gas is used to generate electricity, heat homes and buildings, and power vehicles. It is also a raw material in various industrial processes.

In this graphic, creator Gopalakrishnan Ravichandran ranks natural gas reserves by country. He uses data from the bp Statistical Review, as of September 2023.

Russia Has the Biggest Reserves

Natural gas, coal, and oil have formed over millions of years as plant and animal remains mixed with sediment and undergo pressure and heat.

A natural gas reservoir is a subsurface area where natural gas is trapped within porous and permeable rock formations and confined by impermeable rock or water barriers.

Proven reserves represent the volume of natural gas that can be recovered under existing economic and operating conditions. These reserves can increase when new, successful exploratory wells are drilled.

Russia has the biggest reserves, with 37.4 trillion cubic meters or around 20% of the global total. Iran, in second, has 17% of the total reserves, followed by Qatar with 13%.

Country	Reserve (tcm)	Percentage
🇷🇺 Russian Federation	37.4	19.9%
🇮🇷 Iran	32.1	17.1%
🇶🇦 Qatar	24.7	13.1%
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	13.6	7.2%
🇺🇸 US	12.6	6.7%
🇨🇳 China	8.4	4.5%
🇻🇪 Venezuela	6.3	3.3%
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	6.0	3.2%
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	5.9	3.1%
🇳🇬 Nigeria	5.5	2.9%
🇮🇶 Iraq	3.5	1.9%
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	2.5	1.3%
🇨🇦 Canada	2.4	1.3%
🇦🇺 Australia	2.4	1.3%
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	2.3	1.2%
🇩🇿 Algeria	2.3	1.2%
🇪🇬 Egypt	2.1	1.1%
Others	18.1	9.6%
TOTAL	188.1	100.0%

Asia dominates reserves by region, with six countries among the top 10. Meanwhile, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America each have one representative.

Despite being the 5th in proven reserves, the U.S. is the biggest natural gas producer, with 23% of the global share. Russia comes second (17.4%), with Iran in 3rd place (6.4%).

In addition, the U.S. is also the leading gas exporter, exporting 82.7 billion cubic meters of gas via pipelines in 2022 and 104.3 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Russia was the second-largest natural gas exporter globally, followed by Qatar and Norway.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

Related Topics:natural gas Fuel Russia lng liquified natural gas BP Fossil fuel partner

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Energy

Charted: Battery Capacity by Country (2024-2030)

This graphic compares battery capacity by cathode type across major countries.

Published

2 days ago

April 23, 2025

Bruno Venditti

This graphic, using exclusive data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, compares battery capacity by cathode type across major countries.

Charted: Battery Capacity by Country (2024-2030)

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

As the global energy transition accelerates, battery demand continues to soar—along with competition between battery chemistries.

According to the International Energy Agency, in 2024, electric vehicle sales rose by 25% to 17 million, pushing annual battery demand past 1 terawatt-hour (TWh)—a historic milestone.

This graphic, using exclusive data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (as of February 2025), compares battery capacity by cathode type across major countries. It focuses on the two dominant chemistries: Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP).

Understanding Cathode Chemistries

Batteries store and release energy through the movement of lithium ions. The cathode—a key electrode—determines a battery’s cost, range, and thermal performance.

NCM

Offers higher energy density and better performance in cold climates, but is more expensive and has a shorter lifespan.

LFP

Known for its lower cost and improved thermal stability, though it delivers a shorter driving range and adds weight.

As of now, LFP cathodes make up 40% of the EV market in terms of gigawatt-hours (GWh).

Beyond passenger vehicles, LFP batteries are widely used in systems that undergo frequent charging and discharging—like residential and grid-scale energy storage—where added weight isn’t a major concern. They’re also ideal for daily-use applications such as buses and delivery fleets.

Regional Market Trends

In China, LFP is already dominant, accounting for 64% of the market in 2024. By 2030, that figure is projected to grow to 76%, driven by a focus on affordability in the world’s largest EV market. Notably, over 70% of all EV batteries ever manufactured have been produced in China, contributing to deep manufacturing expertise.