Top 10 Oil Producing Countries 2026

Global oil production in 2026 has been dramatically reshaped by geopolitical disruption. Under the crude oil and condensate definition, global oil production in January 2026 averaged 84.5 million barrels per day , according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. However, on March 12, the International Energy Agency reported that global crude oil production was being curtailed by at least 8 million barrels per day, with significant drops from Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia following the February 2026 outbreak of conflict that closed the Strait of Hormuz. This ranking reflects production capacity and pre-conflict baselines, with notation of 2026 disruptions where applicable.

Key Statistics

Rankings

1. United States

According to the EIA, U.S. crude oil production is expected to average around 13.6 million barrels per day in 2026 and rise to 13.8 million b/d in 2027 . U.S. crude oil production grew by 3%, or 350,000 barrels per day (b/d), in 2025, setting a new annual production record of 13.6 million b/d, according to the EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook from March 2026 . The United States has maintained its position as the world's largest oil producer since 2018, driven primarily by shale production from the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico.

Key Data (Source: U.S. EIA):

The Permian region in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico produced more crude oil than any other region, accounting for 48% of total U.S. crude oil production in 2025

The EIA's June STEO projects U.S. crude oil output, including lease condensate, averaging 13.72 million barrels per day in 2026 and 14.15 million barrels per day in 2027

• Production unaffected by Middle East conflict disruptions

2. Russia

According to recent estimates from the IEA, Russian crude oil production is expected to average around 9.4-9.6 million barrels per day in 2026, accounting for roughly 11-12% of global supply . Russia produced 9.87 million barrels per day in 2025 , according to U.S. EIA data compiled by Visual Capitalist. Despite Western sanctions imposed following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has maintained production levels by redirecting exports to Asian markets, particularly China and India.

Key Data (Source: IEA, U.S. EIA):

Russia's production strength comes from mature fields in Western Siberia and newer developments in Eastern Siberia and the Arctic, supported by major state-backed firms like Rosneft and Gazprom Neft

In 2026, Russia's quota is set near 9.6 million b/d, with gradual increases expected as cuts ease

Russia, in third place at just under 10.9 million b/d, sits even further behind the U.S. (GlobalFirepower.com, 2026)

3. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia produced 9.51 million barrels per day in 2025 , according to U.S. EIA data. Production has typically ranged between 9-10.4 million barrels per day in recent years, although output in 2024-2026 has been intentionally reduced under OPEC+ agreements and due to temporary regional disruptions . Saudi Arabia remains the world's largest oil exporter and most influential OPEC member, with vast spare production capacity.

Key Data (Source: U.S. EIA, IEA):

Production is anchored by major fields like Ghawar and Safaniyah, operated by Saudi Aramco - one of the largest oil companies in the world

In March, the country cut its daily output from a record setting 10 million bpd to 8 million bpd, a 20 percent drop, because of its inability to export through the Strait of Hormuz (Investing News Network, March 2026)

Saudi Arabia is also expanding its long-term capacity, targeting over 13 million barrels per day by 2026-2027

4. Canada

Total petroleum liquids output reached around 6.0 million barrels per day in 2024 and is expected to rise to approximately 6.5 million b/d by 2026, accounting for close to 6% of global supply , according to BlackRidge Research citing industry sources. The EIA forecasts production of petroleum and other liquids to grow in Canada by 0.3 million b/d in 2025 and 0.2 million b/d in 2026, starting at 6.0 million b/d in 2024 .

Key Data (Source: U.S. EIA):

Most of this growth is driven by Alberta's oil sands, which form the backbone of Canada's production

Production growth in Canada is supported by the start-up of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion that transports oil to Canada's West Coast for access to export markets from landlocked Alberta

Crude oil production alone is estimated at roughly 4.9-5.0 million b/d

5. Iraq

Iraq's production capacity stands at approximately 4.5 million barrels per day under normal conditions. Iraq's oil production totaled 4.50 million bpd in 2024, a small increase from 4.44 million the prior year , according to Investing News Network. However, 2026 has seen severe disruptions. Iraq took the biggest hit with production collapsing 61% from 4.2 million barrels per day in February to 1.6 million bpd in March , according to OPEC's monthly report cited by CNBC.

Key Data (Source: OPEC, Investing News Network):

Iraq holds 145.02 billion barrels of proven oil reserves based on 2023 OPEC data, representing 11.7 percent of global reserves

Since the war started, oil production in southern Iraq has dropped by more than 70% and the volume of imported goods reaching Iraq's ports has been cut in half

• Pre-conflict baseline: ~4.5 million bpd

6. China

China is ranked as the sixth-largest oil-producing country, extracting about 4,111,000 barrels of oil per day , according to World Population Review. China remains the world's largest oil importer despite significant domestic production from mature onshore fields and expanding offshore operations.

Key Data (Source: World Population Review, Investing News Network):

Despite substantial domestic production, China imports around 10 to 11 million barrels per day to feed its enormous refining sector

Beijing has built up substantial reserves of oil estimated at 1.2 billion barrels by Kpler

• Production from mature fields like Daqing continues gradual decline

7. United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) produced 4.51 million barrels per day (includes crude oil and other liquids) in 2024 , according to Investing News Network. The UAE has invested heavily in expanding production capacity, though 2026 output has been severely curtailed by regional conflict.

Key Data (Source: Investing News Network, CNBC):

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company upped its crude oil output capacity to 4.85 million bpd in early May 2024 and has a planned target of 5 million bpd by 2027

Drone attacks on oil infrastructure and the Strait of Hormuz blockage have reduced the UAE's daily output by half, according to media reports from March 2026

Output plunged 44% in the United Arab Emirates month over month (February to March 2026, OPEC data)

8. Iran

Iran ranks sixth in the world for oil production, and its total oil output grew to 4.62 million bpd in 2024, a significant jump from 3.66 million bpd in 2023 , according to Investing News Network. The increase made it OPEC's second-largest oil producer for the year . Iran's production has been constrained by U.S. sanctions but increased significantly in 2024.

Key Data (Source: Investing News Network, OPEC):

Iran has the third largest oil reserves of 208,600 million barrels and is also the twelfth largest consumer of oil globally

Iran's production dropped around 5% from 3.24 million bpd to 3.06 million bpd month over month (February to March 2026, OPEC data)

• Iran continued exporting through Strait of Hormuz during 2026 conflict

9. Brazil

The scheduled start-up of two additional FPSOs in the Petrobras-operated Buzios field in December 2025 and in mid-2026 are expected to help drive crude oil production higher by 0.2 million b/d to 4.0 million b/d on average in 2026 , according to the U.S. EIA. Brazil has emerged as a major producer through deepwater pre-salt fields operated primarily by Petrobras.

Key Data (Source: U.S. EIA):

Official government data showing that monthly production topped 4.0 million b/d for the first time in October 2025

Supply from Brazil, Guyana, and Argentina accounting for 0.4 million b/d of the expected global growth forecast in 2026

• Production unaffected by Middle East disruptions

10. Kuwait

Kuwait's normal production capacity is approximately 3 million barrels per day, though 2026 has seen catastrophic disruptions. By 2022, Kuwait's production rate was 3,028,000 barrels per day , according to World Population Review. However, Kuwait's output has plummeted to roughly 500,000 bpd amid escalating threats from Iran as of March 2026.

Key Data (Source: World Population Review, Investing News Network, CNBC):

Oil makes up 60% of Kuwait's GDP and just over 95% of its export revenue

Output plunged 53% in Kuwait month over month (February to March 2026, OPEC data)

Officials estimate a three-to-four-month recovery window once security is restored

Complete Rankings Table

2026 Context: Unprecedented Supply Disruption

The 2026 rankings must be understood within the context of extraordinary geopolitical disruption. Oil markets and oil producing countries have been thrust into the spotlight in 2026 after escalating conflict between the US, Israel and Iran led Iran to disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor that typically carries about 20 percent of global oil supply .

Production shut-ins averaged 8.3 million barrels per day (b/d) in June after peaking at 11.2 million b/d in May , according to the U.S. EIA's July 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook. The EIA expects most crude oil production and trade patterns to return to near pre-conflict levels by the end of this year, with an average of 1.4 million b/d of supply still shut-in in 4Q26 and the majority of shut-in crude oil production to be back online in 1Q27 .

The conflict has fundamentally altered short-term production dynamics while leaving long-term capacity rankings largely intact. Non-OPEC+ producers, particularly the United States, Canada, and Brazil, have increased output to partially offset Middle Eastern losses.

Data Sources & Methodology

This article uses data exclusively from the following verified sources:

1. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) - Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) reports from January through July 2026; International Energy Statistics database (January 2026 data); "Today in Energy" articles (February 2025, December 2025)
2. International Energy Agency (IEA) - Oil Market Report series (January through July 2026)
3. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) - Monthly Oil Market Reports (2026)
4. Visual Capitalist - Analysis based on U.S. EIA data (April 2026)
5. Investing News Network - Industry analysis citing official production data (March 2026)
6. World Population Review - Compilation of official statistics (July 2026)
7. BlackRidge Research - Industry analysis citing EIA and IEA data (April 2026)
8. CNBC - Reporting on OPEC monthly data (April 2026)

Data Limitations:

2026 production data is highly volatile due to the February-June 2026 conflict that closed the Strait of Hormuz and disrupted Middle Eastern production. Monthly figures vary dramatically, with some Gulf producers experiencing production drops exceeding 50% during peak conflict periods (March-May 2026).

Rankings reflect production capacity and pre-conflict baselines where 2026 data is unavailable or unreliable. Different sources use varying definitions (crude oil only vs. crude oil plus condensate vs. total petroleum liquids), which can result in discrepancies of 1-3 million bpd for countries like the United States.

The distinction between crude oil production and total petroleum liquids production creates measurement variations. Some sources include natural gas liquids, condensates, and refinery processing gains, while others report crude oil only.

Last Verified: July 15, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How has the 2026 Middle East conflict affected global oil production?

On March 12, the International Energy Agency reported that global crude oil production was being curtailed by at least 8 million barrels per day, with significant drops from Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia . Production shut-ins peaked at 11.2 million bpd in May 2026 before beginning to recover in June following diplomatic progress. Non-OPEC+ producers, particularly the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Guyana, increased output to partially offset these losses.

Why does the United States produce more oil than Saudi Arabia despite having smaller reserves?

The United States became the world's largest producer in 2018 through technological innovation in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, which unlocked vast shale oil resources in the Permian Basin and other formations. Unlike OPEC members who manage production through quotas, U.S. production is market-driven and responds directly to price signals. Saudi Arabia possesses far larger proven reserves but voluntarily constrains production to support oil prices through OPEC+ coordination.

What is the difference between crude oil production and total petroleum liquids?

Crude oil refers specifically to unrefined petroleum extracted from underground reservoirs. Total petroleum liquids includes crude oil plus natural gas liquids (ethane, propane, butane), condensates, refinery processing gains, and other liquid hydrocarbons. The United States leads Russia and Saudi Arabia combined when comparing the nations' crude oil production combined with other liquids such as ethane, propane and butane , though the gap narrows when measuring crude oil alone.

How quickly can Middle Eastern producers restore full production capacity?

Officials estimate a three-to-four-month recovery window once security is restored , according to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation executives. However, recovery timelines vary by country and depend on infrastructure damage, reservoir management considerations, and the restoration of export routes. The EIA expects most crude oil production and trade patterns to return to near pre-conflict levels by the end of this year .

This article contains only verified data from official sources. Statistics are current as of the dates noted and reflect the extraordinary disruptions of 2026. Production figures for Middle Eastern countries represent both baseline capacity and conflict-affected output where applicable. For corrections or updates, contact editorial@stakeandpaper.com.