July 6, 2026

Ranked: Which Countries Produce the Most Natural Gas? Natural gas remains one of the world’s most important energy sources, powering electricity generation, heavy industry, and home heating.

Production is concentrated among a relatively small group of countries, with the U.S. alone accounting for more than one-quarter of global output.

This map ranks countries by marketed natural gas production in 2025, measured in billion cubic meters (bcm). The data comes from OPEC.

The U.S. Remains the Global Leader

The U.S. produced 1,116 bcm of natural gas in 2025, nearly twice Russia’s output and more than the combined production of China, Canada, and Qatar.

That lead reflects two decades of rapid growth driven by shale development. Advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing unlocked vast reserves, helping make the U.S. the world’s largest natural gas producer and one of its biggest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Russia and the Middle East Dominate Global Supply

Despite major changes in global energy trade since 2022, Russia remained the world’s second-largest natural gas producer.

Iran ranked third with 280 bcm, followed by China and Canada.

The Middle East continues to play a major role in global gas markets thanks to countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Qatar, in particular, remains one of the world’s leading LNG exporters and is expanding production from its massive North Field gas reserve.

North America Leads Regional Production

North America produced 1,360 bcm of natural gas in 2025, making it the largest producing region worldwide.

Eurasia ranked second with 843 bcm, while the Middle East followed closely at 754 bcm.

North America, Eurasia, and the Middle East together produced roughly 68% of the world’s natural gas, underscoring how concentrated global supply remains despite growing production across Asia-Pacific.

Sources:

https://publications.opec.org/asb/chapter/show/154/2872/2875

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-which-countries-produce-the-most-natural-gas/