Overall, the dollar cost of crude oil bought by all importing countries grew by 33.9% since 2018 when globally imported crude oil purchases were valued at $1.186 trillion.
Year over year, total spending on crude oil imports inflated by 49.3% from $1.063 trillion during 2021.
The top 5 importers of this fossil-fuel commodity are mainland China, United States of America, India, South Korea and Japan. Collectively, that quintet of major crude oil imports accounted for about three-fifths (59.9%) of the world’s total spending on imported crude petroleum purchased on international markets in 2022.
At the continent level, Asian countries bought the highest dollar worth of imported crude oil during 2022 with purchases costing $903.9 billion or 56.9% of the worldwide total. In second place were European nations at 26.5% while another 13.9% worth of crude oil imports was delivered to North America.
Smaller percentages of crude petroleum oils were sold to Latin America (1.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.8%), then Oceania (0.5%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Based on our independent calculations, the world’s average unit price per ton of imported crude oil was $1,619 for 2022.
As you will read further down this article, we identify 15 countries paying the highest and lowest costs per ton for crude petroleum imports.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for crude oil is 2709.
Crude Oil Imports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of crude oil during 2022.
- China: US$365.5 billion (23% of imported crude oil)
- United States: $204.7 billion (12.9%)
- India: $173.5 billion (10.9%)
- South Korea: $106 billion (6.7%)
- Japan: $101.7 billion (6.4%)
- Germany: $62 billion (3.9%)
- Netherlands: $58.7 billion (3.7%)
- Spain: $47.7 billion (3%)
- Italy: $44.9 billion (2.8%)
- United Kingdom: $39.6 billion (2.5%)
- Thailand: $39.1 billion (2.5%)
- France: $35 billion (2.2%)
- Singapore: $34 billion (2.1%)
- Taiwan: $31.1 billion (2%)
- Belgium: $25.2 billion (1.6%)
Based on total cost, the listed 15 countries purchased 86.2% of all crude oil imported in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for crude oil from 2021 to 2022 were France (up 76.8%), Netherlands (up 65.4%), United Kingdom (up 65.3%) and India (up 63.1%).
Those leading buyers that posted the most modest gains in their imported crude oil purchases were Belgium (up 34.5% from 2021), mainland China (up 41.6%) and the United States of America (up 47.8%).
Crude Oil Imports into China
Based on statistics from the International Trade Centre, over one half (53.3%) of mainland China’s overall crude oil imports came from member countries of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
China’s top 3 suppliers of crude oil are Saudi Arabia, the Russian Federation and Iraq. Combined, those key providers generated 44.4% of total Chinese imports of crude petroleum.
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which China imported the highest dollar value worth of crude oil during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplier from 2021 to 2022.
- Saudi Arabia: US$65 billion (up 47.9% from 2021)
- Russia: $58.4 billion (up 44%)
- Iraq: $39.1 billion (up 47.7%)
- United Arab Emirates: $32.2 billion (up 96.9%)
- Oman: $29.2 billion (up 29.8%)
- Kuwait: $24.6 billion (up 60.7%)
- Angola: $22.6 billion (up 13.7%)
- Malaysia: $21.7 billion (up 144.8%)
- Brazil: $18.6 billion (up 21.3%)
- Qatar: $6 billion (up 40.9%)
- United States of America: $5.8 billion (up 3.5%)
- Colombia: $5.8 billion (up 32.7%)
- Congo: $5.2 billion (up 18.6%)
- Kazakhstan: $4.6 billion (up 91%)
- Norway: $4.5 billion (down -32.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 93.9% of all Chinese crude oil imported in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of crude oil to China from 2021 to 2022 were: Malaysia (up 144.8%), United Arab Emirates (up 96.9%), Kazakhstan (up 91%) and Kuwait (up 60.7%).
The lone top provider that experienced a decline in the value of its crude oil supplied to Chinese importers was Norway pulled down by a -32.8% drop compared to 2021.
Overall, the value of Chinese crude oil imports went up by an average 41.6% from all supplying countries since 2021 when crude oil purchases were valued at $258.1 billion.
Crude Oil Imports into the United States
Just 19.2% of America’s overall crude oil imports came from member countries of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
America’s top 3 suppliers of crude oil are Canada, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Combined, those key providers generated over three-quarters (76%) of total US imports of crude petroleum.
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the US imported the highest dollar value worth of crude oil during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Canada: US$117.9 billion (up 47.3% from 2021)
- Mexico: $21.2 billion (up 59.9%)
- Saudi Arabia: $16.6 billion (up 83.8%)
- Colombia: $8.2 billion (up 92.9%)
- Iraq: $7.9 billion (up 108.8%)
- Brazil: $5.6 billion (up 62.3%)
- Ecuador: $5.3 billion (up 39.7%)
- Nigeria: $4 billion (up 42.4%)
- Guyana: $2.7 billion (up 26.3%)
- Ghana: $2.4 billion (up 73.5%)
- Libya: $2.2 billion (up 1.4%)
- United Kingdom: $1.7 billion (up 38.3%)
- Trinidad and Tobago: $1.57 billion (up 50.1%)
- Argentina: $1.55 billion (up 104.2%)
- Angola: $1.4 billion (up 39.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 97.8% of all American crude oil imported in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of crude oil to the United States from 2021 to 2022 were Iraq (up 109%), Argentina (up 104.2%), Colombia (up 92.9%) and Saudi Arabia (up 83.8%).
Libya experienced the smallest increase in the value of its crude oil supplied to American importers via a 1.4% advance from 2021.
Overall, the value of American crude oil imports rose by an average 47.8% from all supplying countries since 2021 when crude oil purchases were valued at $138.5 billion.
Crude Oil Imports into India
Almost two-thirds (64.5%) of India’s overall crude oil imports came from member countries of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
India’s top 3 suppliers of crude oil are Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Russia. Combined, those key providers generated over half (54.9%) of total Indian imports of crude petroleum.
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which India imported the highest dollar value worth of crude oil during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Iraq: US$37.1 billion (up 47.9% from 2021)
- Saudi Arabia: $32.7 billion (up 82.5%)
- Russia: $25.5 billion (up 1,006%)
- United Arab Emirates: $17.8 billion (up 52.3%)
- United States of America: $13 billion (up 25%)
- Kuwait: $9.1 billion (up 33.3%)
- Nigeria: $7.4 billion (down -10%)
- Oman: $3.6 billion (up 28.9%)
- Mexico: $3.4 billion (up 0.5%)
- Angola: $3.15 billion (up 96.9%)
- Brazil: $2.45 billion (up 21.3%)
- Congo: $2.4 billion (up 223.8%)
- Qatar: $2.1 billion (up 144.9%)
- Colombia: $1.9 billion (down -0.7%)
- Malaysia: $1.4 billion (up 34.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 93.9% of all Indian crude oil imported in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of crude oil to India from 2021 to 2022 were Russia (up 1,006%), Congo (up 223.8%), Qatar (up 144.9%) and Angola (up 96.9%).
A pair of top providers experienced declines in the value of their crude oil supplied to Indian importers namely Nigeria (down -10.0% from 2021) and Colombia (down -0.7%).
Overall, the value of Indian crude oil imports expanded by an average 63.1% from all supplying countries since 2021 when crude oil purchases were valued at $106.4 billion.
Crude Oil Imports into South Korea
Over three-quarters (68.9%) of South Korea’s overall crude oil imports came from member countries of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
South Korea’s top 3 suppliers of crude oil are Saudi Arabia, United States of America and Kuwait. Combined, those key providers furnished almost three-fifths (58.9%) of total Korean imports of crude petroleum.
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which South Korea imported the highest dollar value worth of crude oil during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Saudi Arabia: US$37.7 billion (up 76.6% from 2021)
- United States of America: $14 billion (up 67%)
- Kuwait: $10.7 billion (up 48.2%)
- United Arab Emirates: $9.2 billion (up 144.8%)
- Iraq: $8.5 billion (up 112.4%)
- Qatar: $4.9 billion (up 39.5%)
- Kazakhstan: $4.6 billion (up 154%)
- Mexico: $3.9 billion (up 16.5%)
- Brazil: $2.4 billion (up 50.9%)
- Russia: $2.3 billion (down -45.8%)
- Australia: $2.15 billion (up 35.4%)
- Nigeria: $19 billion (up 110.6%)
- United Kingdom: $12 billion (down -14.1%)
- Algeria: $827.9 million (up 35.4%)
- Gabon: $705.5 million (up 21.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98.2% of all Korean crude oil imported in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of crude oil to South Korea from 2021 to 2022 were Kazakhstan (up 154%), United Arab Emirates (up 144.8%), Iraq (up 112.4%) and Nigeria (up 110.6%).
Major providers that experienced declines in the value of their crude oil supplied to Korean importers were Russia (down -45.8%) and the United Kingdom (down -14.1%).
Overall, the value of Korean crude oil imports accelerated by an average 58.1% from all supplying countries since 2021 when crude oil purchases were valued at $67 billion.
Searchable List of Crude Oil Importing Countries in 2022
The 100 key buyers in the automated database below bought virtually all (99.99999%) of crude petroleum oil imported during 2022.
| Rank | Importer | Crude Oil Imports (US$) | 2021-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | China | $365,512,020,000 | +41.6% |
| 2. | United States | $204,715,565,000 | +47.8% |
| 3. | India | $173,515,903,000 | +63.1% |
| 4. | South Korea | $105,963,516,000 | +58.1% |
| 5. | Japan | $101,652,157,000 | +61% |
| 6. | Germany | $62,044,514,000 | +54.1% |
| 7. | Netherlands | $58,666,346,000 | +65.4% |
| 8. | Spain | $47,748,563,000 | +61.4% |
| 9. | Italy | $44,918,252,000 | +50.1% |
| 10. | United Kingdom | $39,609,715,000 | +65.3% |
| 11. | Thailand | $39,146,972,000 | +53.5% |
| 12. | France | $35,039,770,000 | +76.8% |
| 13. | Singapore | $34,022,277,000 | +50% |
| 14. | Taiwan | $31,121,646,000 | +56.3% |
| 15. | Belgium | $25,150,968,000 | +34.5% |
| 16. | Poland | $16,647,142,000 | +47% |
| 17. | Canada | $16,545,911,000 | +40.4% |
| 18. | Greece | $15,697,427,000 | +33.7% |
| 19. | Sweden | $14,883,820,000 | +57.1% |
| 20. | Malaysia | $12,240,209,000 | +251.9% |
| 21. | Indonesia | $11,455,427,000 | +62.6% |
| 22. | Brazil | $9,916,247,000 | +148.2% |
| 23. | Israel | $9,746,558,000 | +51.5% |
| 24. | Portugal | $7,755,310,000 | +62.1% |
| 25. | Finland | $7,347,415,000 | +71.5% |
| 26. | Australia | $7,230,229,000 | +28.6% |
| 27. | Lithuania | $6,110,999,000 | +45.6% |
| 28. | Pakistan | $6,040,237,000 | +43.2% |
| 29. | Romania | $5,902,837,000 | +72.7% |
| 30. | Chile | $5,564,400,000 | +17.1% |
| 31. | Brunei Darussalam | $5,443,454,000 | +42.8% |
| 32. | Czech Republic | $4,922,956,000 | +37% |
| 33. | South Africa | $4,411,801,000 | -18.7% |
| 34. | Egypt | $4,389,825,000 | +17.7% |
| 35. | Bulgaria | $4,124,443,000 | +103.5% |
| 36. | Austria | $3,840,395,000 | -5.5% |
| 37. | Philippines | $3,782,078,000 | +100.5% |
| 38. | Denmark | $3,638,198,000 | -15.7% |
| 39. | Hungary | $3,154,211,000 | +9.4% |
| 40. | Slovakia | $2,877,939,000 | +10.1% |
| 41. | Peru | $2,556,905,000 | +40.6% |
| 42. | Ireland | $2,538,637,000 | +54.9% |
| 43. | Ivory Coast | $2,410,804,000 | +74.2% |
| 44. | Switzerland | $2,314,064,000 | +89.4% |
| 45. | Serbia | $2,293,028,000 | +70.9% |
| 46. | Uruguay | $1,656,541,000 | +49% |
| 47. | Gibraltar | $1,293,887,000 | +146.1% |
| 48. | Croatia | $1,292,720,000 | +37.5% |
| 49. | Jordan | $920,735,000 | -12.5% |
| 50. | Dominican Republic | $885,985,000 | +33% |
| 51. | Vietnam | $710,805,000 | -85.9% |
| 52. | United Arab Emirates | $670,386,000 | -70% |
| 53. | Saudi Arabia | $649,045,000 | 0% |
| 54. | Nicaragua | $644,807,000 | +67.7% |
| 55. | New Zealand | $531,204,000 | -72.6% |
| 56. | Tunisia | $498,824,000 | -27.6% |
| 57. | Norway | $456,591,000 | -60.5% |
| 58. | Azerbaijan | $450,929,000 | +758.2% |
| 59. | Senegal | $446,787,000 | -13% |
| 60. | Jamaica | $430,190,000 | -25.9% |
| 61. | Sri Lanka | $368,275,000 | -24.8% |
| 62. | Ukraine | $329,744,000 | -60.6% |
| 63. | Colombia | $327,382,000 | +118.8% |
| 64. | Uzbekistan | $293,464,000 | +10.8% |
| 65. | Qatar | $98,123,000 | +196146% |
| 66. | Curaçao | $73,534,000 | +6.2% |
| 67. | Belarus | $57,590,000 | 0% |
| 68. | Bangladesh | $57,468,000 | +287240% |
| 69. | Papua New Guinea | $42,449,000 | -45.5% |
| 70. | Dominica | $28,500,000 | 0% |
| 71. | US Minor Outlying Is | $26,116,000 | 0% |
| 72. | Russia | $20,117,000 | +14373% |
| 73. | Namibia | $8,647,000 | -6.5% |
| 74. | Estonia | $6,665,000 | -78.8% |
| 75. | Botswana | $3,975,000 | -10.3% |
| 76. | Central African Rep | $2,343,000 | 0% |
| 77. | Kyrgyzstan | $2,148,000 | +539.3% |
| 78. | Guatemala | $1,863,000 | +163.1% |
| 79. | Afghanistan | $1,368,000 | -60% |
| 80. | Lesotho | $952,000 | +111.6% |
| 81. | Georgia | $762,000 | 0% |
| 82. | Nauru | $490,000 | +16233% |
| 83. | Suriname | $483,000 | 0% |
| 84. | Marshall Islands | $475,000 | -74.9% |
| 85. | Wallis/Futuna Is | $414,000 | +73.2% |
| 86. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $399,000 | +250% |
| 87. | Mali | $316,000 | +10433% |
| 88. | Kazakhstan | $307,000 | +61.6% |
| 89. | Kiribati | $288,000 | 0% |
| 90. | Tuvalu | $277,000 | +105.2% |
| 91. | Ethiopia | $160,000 | -39.4% |
| 92. | Vanuatu | $110,000 | +168.3% |
| 93. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $102,000 | -67.1% |
| 94. | El Salvador | $87,000 | +112.2% |
| 95. | Tajikistan | $87,000 | -84.1% |
| 96. | Bahamas | $82,000 | +182.8% |
| 97. | Lebanon | $41,000 | +17.1% |
| 98. | Luxembourg | $20,000 | -39.4% |
| 99. | Angola | $20,000 | +400% |
| 100. | Costa Rica | $18,000 | 0% |
Expanding the scope to the 100 largest importers of crude petroleum, the fastest gainers included Bangladesh (up 287,240% from 2021), Qatar (up 196,146%), Nauru (up 16,233%), Russia (up 14,373%), Mali (up 10,433%), Azerbaijan (up 758.2%), Kyrgyzstan (up 539.3%) then Angola (up 400%).
Leading decliners were buyers in Vietnam (down -85.9% from 2021), Tajikistan (down -84.1%), Estonia (down -78.8%), Marshall Islands (down -74.9%), New Zealand (down -72.6%) then the United Arab Emirates (down -70%).
You can change the table’s presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns above.
Note that an entry of 0% in the table’s right-most column means 2021 data was unavailable.
Countries Paying Highest Rates for Imported Crude Oil
Listed below are top buyer countries sorted by the highest average rates paid per ton of imported crude oil in 2022.
- France: US$803 per ton of imported crude oil
- Singapore: $775 per ton
- Japan: $767 per ton
- South Korea: $766 per ton
- United Kingdom: $763 per ton
- Taiwan: $761 per ton
- Thailand: $739 per ton
- Netherlands: $734 per ton
- Italy: $731 per ton
- Belgium: $724 per ton
- Germany: $721 per ton
- China: $719 per ton
- India: $713 per ton
- Poland: $662 per ton
- United States of America: $110 per ton
Countries Paying Lowest Rates for Imported Crude Oil
Expanding the scope to all countries for which imported crude petroleum rates were available, the following 15 countries paid among the cheapest average rates per ton of imported crude oil in 2022.
- Sri Lanka: US$0.57 per ton of imported crude oil
- United States of America: $110 per ton
- Grenada: $200 per ton
- Latvia: $333 per ton
- Dominica: $358 per ton
- Zimbabwe: $378 per ton
- United States Minor Outlying Islands: $380 per ton
- Bahamas: $387 per ton
- Russia: $418 per ton
- Benin: $500 per ton
- Georgia: $539 per ton
- Slovakia: $546 per ton
- Hungary: $565 per ton
- Tajikistan: $565 per ton
- Canada: $579 per ton
See also Crude Oil Exports by Country, China’s Top Trading Partners, OPEC Countries Crude Oil Exports Sales Data, Largest Oil and Gas Export Companies and Best Solar & Wind Exporters Powering International Energy Sales
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 16, 2023
E-tools Age, Oil Converter and Calculator. Accessed on July 16, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 16, 2023
Investopedia, Net Importer Definition. Accessed on July 16, 2023
Wikipedia, Big Oil. Accessed on July 16, 2023
