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Refining Capacity by Country: China Has More Capacity, the U.S. Refines More Oil

Energy Institute Statistical Review · Data for 2025 · Updated August 17, 2026

China passed the United States as the world's largest refiner by capacity in 2023 (18,467 vs. 18,429 kb/d), but the United States still refines more oil. In 2025, China had 18,829 thousand barrels per day of capacity against the U.S. 18,172, while U.S. throughput was 16,371 kb/d against China's 14,747. The reported utilization ratios were 90.1% and 78.3%, respectively.

Largest capacity

China

18,829 kb/d

Largest throughput

United States

16,371 kb/d

U.S. reported utilization

90.1%

throughput / year-end capacity

China reported utilization

78.3%

throughput / year-end capacity

The capacity crossover

Refining capacity in thousand barrels per day. China first exceeded the U.S. in 2023. Source: Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy.

Refinery throughput in thousand barrels per day. Capacity and throughput answer different questions; both are needed to describe the crossover accurately.

Refining capacity by country, 2025

Rank	Country	Capacity (kb/d)	Throughput (kb/d)	Reported utilization
1	China	18,829	14,747	78.3%
2	US	18,172	16,371	90.1%
3	Russian Federation	6,718	4,900	72.9%
4	India	4,924	5,468	111.1%
5	South Korea	3,570	2,812	78.8%
6	Saudi Arabia	3,289	2,741	83.3%
7	Japan	3,110	2,367	76.1%
8	Iran	2,460	2,019	82.1%
9	Brazil	2,296	1,977	86.1%
10	Germany	1,951	1,642	84.2%
11	Canada	1,943	1,737	89.4%
12	Mexico	1,847	1,017	55.1%
13	Italy	1,673	1,249	74.6%
14	Spain	1,532	1,280	83.5%
15	Kuwait	1,430	1,150	80.4%
16	Iraq	1,389	900	64.8%
17	Venezuela	1,303	278	21.3%
18	Singapore	1,289	936	72.6%
19	Netherlands	1,260	1,068	84.7%
20	Indonesia	1,259	870	69.1%
21	United Arab Emirates	1,258	994	79.0%
22	Thailand	1,242	1,074	86.5%
23	Taiwan	1,140	813	71.3%
24	United Kingdom	1,137	919	80.8%
25	France	1,133	886	78.2%
26	Malaysia	991	627	63.3%
27	Nigeria	963	360	37.4%
28	Egypt	872	530	60.8%
29	Turkiye	801	700	87.4%
30	Belgium	757	696	91.9%
31	Algeria	647	653	100.9%
32	Argentina	600	540	90.1%
33	Poland	583	519	89.0%
34	Oman	564	496	87.9%
35	Greece	544	470	86.5%
36	Belarus	500	295	59.1%
37	Pakistan	474	252	53.2%
38	Sweden	472	343	72.7%
39	Colombia	465	414	89.1%
40	Qatar	429	363	84.7%
41	Kazakhstan	420	378	90.0%
42	Vietnam	367	384	104.6%
43	Bahrain	320	301	94.1%
44	Turkmenistan	320	162	50.6%
45	Israel	301	230	76.4%
46	Peru	290	180	62.1%
47	Romania	255	231	90.7%
48	Australia	237	260	109.6%
49	Chile	236	191	81.0%
50	Uzbekistan	232	74	31.8%
51	Norway	226	170	75.2%
52	Portugal	221	211	95.5%
53	South Africa	209	118	56.5%
54	Finland	206	186	90.3%
55	Lithuania	204	160	78.4%
56	Bulgaria	196	130	66.3%
57	Austria	193	162	84.1%
58	Philippines	180	134	74.6%
59	Ecuador	176	150	85.2%
60	Czech Republic	174	141	81.5%
61	Denmark	173	150	86.9%
62	Hungary	165	123	74.5%
63	Slovakia	122	110	90.2%
64	Azerbaijan	120	114	95.2%
65	Ireland	75	39	52.6%
66	Switzerland	68	60	88.2%
67	Bangladesh	43	36	84.2%
68	New Zealand	30	0	0.0%
69	Ukraine	10	0	0.0%

Refinery throughput by country, 2025

Rank	Country	Throughput (kb/d)	Capacity (kb/d)
1	US	16,371	18,172
2	China	14,747	18,829
3	India	5,468	4,924
4	Russian Federation	4,900	6,718
5	South Korea	2,812	3,570
6	Saudi Arabia	2,741	3,289
7	Japan	2,367	3,110
8	Iran	2,019	2,460
9	Brazil	1,977	2,296
10	Canada	1,737	1,943
11	Germany	1,642	1,951
12	Spain	1,280	1,532
13	Italy	1,249	1,673
14	Kuwait	1,150	1,430
15	Thailand	1,074	1,242
16	Netherlands	1,068	1,260
17	Mexico	1,017	1,847
18	United Arab Emirates	994	1,258
19	Singapore	936	1,289
20	United Kingdom	919	1,137
21	Iraq	900	1,389
22	France	886	1,133
23	Indonesia	870	1,259
24	Taiwan	813	1,140
25	Turkiye	700	801
26	Belgium	696	757
27	Algeria	653	647
28	Malaysia	627	991
29	Argentina	540	600
30	Egypt	530	872
31	Poland	519	583
32	Oman	496	564
33	Greece	470	544
34	Colombia	414	465
35	Vietnam	384	367
36	Kazakhstan	378	420
37	Qatar	363	429
38	Nigeria	360	963
39	Sweden	343	472
40	Bahrain	301	320
41	Belarus	295	500
42	Venezuela	278	1,303
43	Australia	260	237
44	Pakistan	252	474
45	Romania	231	255
46	Israel	230	301
47	Portugal	211	221
48	Chile	191	236
49	Finland	186	206
50	Peru	180	290
51	Norway	170	226
52	Austria	162	193
53	Turkmenistan	162	320
54	Lithuania	160	204
55	Denmark	150	173
56	Ecuador	150	176
57	Czech Republic	141	174
58	Philippines	134	180
59	Bulgaria	130	196
60	Hungary	123	165
61	South Africa	118	209
62	Azerbaijan	114	120
63	Slovakia	110	122
64	Uzbekistan	74	232
65	Switzerland	60	68
66	Ireland	39	75
67	Bangladesh	36	43
68	New Zealand	0	30
69	Ukraine	0	10

Reported refinery utilization

This is the Energy Institute's reported ratio of annual throughput to year-end capacity. It is not an efficiency ranking. Annual throughput and the capacity denominator can use different timing or vintages, so a reported ratio can exceed 100%.

Country	Reported utilization	Throughput (kb/d)	Year-end capacity (kb/d)
India	111.1% (see note)	5,468	4,924
Australia	109.6% (see note)	260	237
Vietnam	104.6% (see note)	384	367
Algeria	100.9% (see note)	653	647
Portugal	95.5%	211	221
Azerbaijan	95.2%	114	120
Bahrain	94.1%	301	320
Belgium	91.9%	696	757
Romania	90.7%	231	255
Finland	90.3%	186	206
Slovakia	90.2%	110	122
US	90.1%	16,371	18,172
Argentina	90.1%	540	600
Kazakhstan	90.0%	378	420
Canada	89.4%	1,737	1,943
Colombia	89.1%	414	465
Poland	89.0%	519	583
Switzerland	88.2%	60	68
Oman	87.9%	496	564
Turkiye	87.4%	700	801
Denmark	86.9%	150	173
Thailand	86.5%	1,074	1,242
Greece	86.5%	470	544
Brazil	86.1%	1,977	2,296
Ecuador	85.2%	150	176
Netherlands	84.7%	1,068	1,260
Qatar	84.7%	363	429
Bangladesh	84.2%	36	43
Germany	84.2%	1,642	1,951
Austria	84.1%	162	193
Spain	83.5%	1,280	1,532
Saudi Arabia	83.3%	2,741	3,289
Iran	82.1%	2,019	2,460
Czech Republic	81.5%	141	174
Chile	81.0%	191	236
United Kingdom	80.8%	919	1,137
Kuwait	80.4%	1,150	1,430
United Arab Emirates	79.0%	994	1,258
South Korea	78.8%	2,812	3,570
Lithuania	78.4%	160	204
China	78.3%	14,747	18,829
France	78.2%	886	1,133
Israel	76.4%	230	301
Japan	76.1%	2,367	3,110
Norway	75.2%	170	226
Italy	74.6%	1,249	1,673
Philippines	74.6%	134	180
Hungary	74.5%	123	165
Russian Federation	72.9%	4,900	6,718
Sweden	72.7%	343	472
Singapore	72.6%	936	1,289
Taiwan	71.3%	813	1,140
Indonesia	69.1%	870	1,259
Bulgaria	66.3%	130	196
Iraq	64.8%	900	1,389
Malaysia	63.3%	627	991
Peru	62.1%	180	290
Egypt	60.8%	530	872
Belarus	59.1%	295	500
South Africa	56.5%	118	209
Mexico	55.1%	1,017	1,847
Pakistan	53.2%	252	474
Ireland	52.6%	39	75
Turkmenistan	50.6%	162	320
Nigeria	37.4%	360	963
Uzbekistan	31.8%	74	232
Venezuela	21.3%	278	1,303
New Zealand	0.0%	0	30
Ukraine	0.0%	0	10

Values above 100% do not mean a refinery system defeated a physical limit. They reflect the published annual-throughput numerator and year-end-capacity denominator, whose timing and bases can differ.

Regional and world totals

Aggregate codes are kept separate from countries. They appear only here with labels and never enter a country rank.

Aggregate	Capacity (kb/d)	Throughput (kb/d)	Reported utilization
Total North America	21,962	19,126	87.1%
Total S. & Cent. America	5,749	3,911	68.0%
Total Europe	14,389	11,792	82.0%
Total CIS	8,377	5,929	70.8%
Total Middle East	11,936	9,308	78.0%
Total Africa	3,318	2,020	60.9%
Total Asia Pacific	38,025	31,017	81.6%
Total World	103,756	83,102	80.1%

How to read these data

Capacity is the size of the refining system, in thousand barrels per day.
Throughput is the crude and feedstock actually processed during the year.
Reported utilization is throughput divided by year-end capacity as the Energy Institute reports the inputs. It should not be used to rank operational quality.
Country rankings use an explicit country-code allowlist. World, regional, total and other-region codes are excluded and shown only in the labeled aggregate table.

For the current U.S. refinery map, capacity by PADD, shutdown history and weekly crack-spread proxy, see U.S. refining.

Source: Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy, 2025 data. This page follows the same attribution posture as the site's existing EI-based world pages. It provides no bulk EI data download and makes no site-authored open-license claim for the EI series.