Energy · Data story · By ChartGlow · Published
How America became the world’s biggest oil producer
In 2008, Russia and Saudi Arabia each produced almost twice as much crude oil as the United States. Seventeen years later, the picture had turned around.
US production averaged 13.7 million barrels a day in 2025, ahead of Russia’s 9.9 million and Saudi Arabia’s 9.5 million, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
That is a lead of almost 38% over Russia, but not a story of one country supplying the world alone. The US accounted for roughly 16% of the EIA’s global crude-oil total in 2025. Behind the top three, Canada, Iraq and China each produced between 4.3 and 5 million barrels a day.
The moment the lead changed
In 1993, Saudi Arabia led this group with about 8 million barrels a day, followed by the United States and Russia. Over the years that followed, Saudi Arabia and Russia traded the lead several times. The US was third in 2008, after its production had fallen to around 5 million barrels a day.
By 2018, the US had passed both: 11 million barrels a day, versus 10.8 million for Russia and 10.6 million for Saudi Arabia. It has remained ahead through 2025 in this EIA series. The agency attributes the reversal of the earlier US decline to the development of shale oil and gas, alongside productivity gains in major US basins.
A wider map than the top three
Canada rose from about 1.7 million barrels a day in 1993 to nearly 5 million in 2025, moving from eighth to fourth within the selected group. Brazil rose from 0.6 to 3.8 million. Iran, Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait complete the comparison; their paths are distinct, even where their final values sit close together.
News about the Strait of Hormuz is a reminder that where oil is produced and how it reaches buyers are different questions. This chart measures production, not exports, shipping routes or prices, and it does not quantify the effect of the events of 2026.
A change at the top took years, not a single headline. The longer view makes it visible: three major producers continue to shape the picture, but the distance between them is very different from the one in 2008.
Sources, method and image credits
Data: US EIA International Energy Statistics and bulk data, downloaded on 28 October 2026. Annual averages measure crude oil including lease condensate, in millions of barrels per day. The fixed 2025 top ten are traced back to 1993; historical leaders outside the cohort are not shown. Estimates and past figures may be revised.
The world denominator is the same EIA edition’s 84.46 million barrels per day in 2025 and includes countries outside the chart. Animated movement between annual observations is illustrative and does not date a pass to an exact day. EIA analysis of 2025 production leaders.
Background: Mike Duniway / USGS, oil pumpjack in New Mexico, public domain, cropped and faded. Country flags are from Flagcdn. Full supporting notes and credits.