See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.
Visualizing China’s Crude Oil Imports by Country
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- In 2024, China imported 11.1 million barrels of crude oil per day.
- Russia shipped nearly 2.2 million barrels per day (b/d), making it the largest single exporter of crude oil to China.
China stands as the largest importer of crude oil in the world, with nearly a fifth coming from Russia in 2024.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, these imports have increased from around 15.5% between 2018 and 2021. Beyond Russia, countries in the Middle East largely fuel the country’s oil demand.
This graphic shows China’s crude oil imports in 2024, based on data from the Energy Institute.
Ranked: The Top Suppliers of China’s Crude Oil Imports
Below, we show China’s leading suppliers of crude oil last year:
| Country / Region | Crude Oil Imports Thousand b/d in 2024 |
|---|---|
 Russia |
2,175 |
 Saudi Arabia |
1,576 |
 Iraq |
1,279 |
 UAE |
712 |
 Kuwait |
321 |
 U.S. |
192 |
 Canada |
184 |
 Mexico |
20 |
 Other Middle East |
2,436 |
 S. & Central America |
1,055 |
 West Africa |
934 |
| Europe |
82 |
| Other Asia Pacific |
42 |
 Other CIS |
40 |
| North Africa |
36 |
| Australasia |
12 |
| East & S. Africa |
10 |
As the above table shows, Russia has the largest share at 2.2 million barrels per day.
When it comes to Russia, China benefits from the cheap price of Urals oil given Western sanctions. These economic factors—with Urals crude often selling at $5 to $10 dollars cheaper than similar grades—play a role in Russia and China’s growing oil trade.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia accounted for 14% of imports, and Iraq followed with 12% overall.
Another large grouping is “Other Middle East”. Falling in this group is Iran, which sends up to 90% of its crude exports to China, or about one million b/d. Similarly, China stands as the top buyer of crude in Qatar.
On the other hand, imports of U.S. crude have dropped dramatically—now at less than 2%. Interestingly, as trade tensions have escalated, Canadian imports have surged to record levels in 2025 as China seeks out alternate suppliers.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the countries with the largest proven oil reserves.
