Nigeria, 8 others account for 83% of global gas flaring – World Bank

Nigeria remained one of the world’s largest gas-flaring countries in 2025, ranking among nine nations responsible for 83% of global gas flaring.

This is according to the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report released on Tuesday.

The report identified Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, and the United States as the biggest contributors to global gas flaring, while more than 90 other oil-producing countries accounted for just 17% of total flaring despite producing 54% of global oil output.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria recorded increases in both oil production and gas flaring volumes during the year, underscoring persistent infrastructure challenges in the country’s oil and gas sector.

What the report is saying

The World Bank noted that Nigeria’s flaring intensity remained largely unchanged in 2025, even as flare volumes and crude oil production increased.

• Nigeria recorded an 8% increase in gas flaring volumes alongside an 8% rise in oil production during the year.
• Flaring intensity remained broadly flat, unlike countries such as Mexico, Russia, Algeria, and Iran, which recorded increases.
• Venezuela and the United States achieved reductions in flaring intensity of 11% and 10%, respectively.
• Iraq, Libya, and Nigeria saw little or no change in flaring intensity compared to 2024.
• “The share of total flaring from the top nine flaring countries – Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, and the United States – represents 83 percent of total flaring in 2025,” the report noted.

The report highlighted that several major oil-producing nations continue to demonstrate that crude oil can be produced with significantly lower levels of gas flaring.

More insights

According to the World Bank, inadequate infrastructure remains a major obstacle to reducing gas flaring in Nigeria.

• Insufficient infrastructure to transport associated gas to markets continues to limit gas utilisation, the World Bank noted.
• The report also noted that aging gas processing facilities and high downtime rates have contributed to elevated flaring levels.
• World Bank stated that countries such as Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States successfully reduced flare volumes while maintaining or lowering flaring intensity.
• Mexico, the Republic of Congo, and Vietnam recorded some of the largest increases in flaring intensity globally during the period.

The findings underscore the importance of sustained investment in gas gathering, processing, and transportation infrastructure to support Nigeria’s gas commercialisation agenda.

What you should know

The World Bank noted that countries participating in the Zero Routine Flaring (ZRF) initiative generally recorded better flaring performance than non-participating countries, although overall flaring among endorsing countries increased in 2025.

• Nigeria has repeatedly pledged to eliminate routine gas flaring and maximise the value of its vast natural gas resources.
• The country holds more than 200 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, among the largest in Africa.

Successive governments have introduced policies aimed at commercialising flared gas and reducing environmental emissions.