Ranked: Countries That Use the Most Diesel Per Capita
Key Takeaways
- Australia has the highest diesel consumption per capita among the OECD countries shown, followed by Norway and Canada.
- The United States ranks eighth at 0.60 tons of oil equivalent per person.
- Australia consumes nearly seven times as much diesel per capita as Mexico, the lowest-ranked country.
Diesel remains a key fuel across many advanced economies, powering trucks, passenger vehicles, heavy equipment, industrial activity, and heating systems.
This visualization ranks selected OECD countries by distillate fuel oil consumption per capita in 2025, measured in tons of oil equivalent. Distillate fuel oil refers primarily to diesel fuel and heating oil. The data comes from the OECD Economic Outlook 119 database and U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) via OECD.
The ranking reflects differences in transportation networks, industrial activity, geography, and energy use.
Australia Leads Diesel Consumption Per Capita
Australia leads the OECD countries shown at 1.10 tons of oil equivalent per person, well above the OECD average of 0.64 tons.
The table below shows the per capita distillate fuel oil consumption of selected OECD countries, measured in tons of oil equivalent:
| Country | Diesel Consumption (In Tons of Oil Equivalent Per Capita) |
|---|---|
 Australia |
1.10 |
 Norway |
0.90 |
 Canada |
0.75 |
 Spain |
0.68 |
 New Zealand |
0.66 |
 Finland |
0.65 |
 Denmark |
0.63 |
 United States |
0.60 |
 Germany |
0.59 |
 France |
0.59 |
 Sweden |
0.52 |
 Italy |
0.50 |
 South Korea |
0.45 |
 United Kingdom |
0.42 |
 Netherlands |
0.42 |
 Türkiye |
0.34 |
 Japan |
0.30 |
 Mexico |
0.16 |
| OECD Average | 0.64 |
Australia’s high diesel use reflects the fuel-intensive nature of its mining, freight, and agricultural industries, which operate across vast distances. Longstanding tax concessions have also lowered the effective cost of diesel for some industries.
This dependence is especially significant given Australia’s reliance on fuel imports. Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz began in March 2026, oil supply disruptions and rising fuel prices have increased pressure on Australia to diversify its energy mix and reduce its exposure to international fossil fuel shocks.
European Countries and Canada Sit Near the Top
Norway ranks second at 0.90 tons of oil equivalent per person.
Similar to Australia, Norway’s high per-person diesel use stems partly from commercial transportation and long-distance logistics, with many of the country’s population centers spread far apart.
Another similarity between the two top-ranked countries is import dependency. Although Norway is one of the world’s leading crude oil producers, it depends on diesel imports because its only refinery lacks the capacity to meet domestic demand.
Canada ranks third at 0.75 tons of oil equivalent per capita, the only other country above 0.70.
The United States, meanwhile, ranks eighth at 0.60 tons per person. Its position illustrates how a country can consume large amounts of diesel overall while ranking lower once population is taken into account.
Passenger Vehicles Drive Mexico and Japan’s Lower Diesel Use
At the lower end of the ranking, Mexico records the lowest per capita diesel consumption in the dataset, at 0.16 tons of oil equivalent.
Mexico’s relatively low diesel use stems largely from its gasoline-favoring passenger vehicle fleet.
Japan, which favors gasoline and hybrid cars and has a heavily used electrified public transportation system, ranks second-lowest at 0.30 tons of oil equivalent per capita.
Overall, Australia consumes nearly seven times as much diesel per capita as Mexico, illustrating the wide variation in how OECD economies rely on distillate fuel oil.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you found this post interesting, check out Diesel Price Changes Since the Iran War on Voronoi.
