China holds the world’s largest strategic oil reserves; US, Japan follow; where does India stand?

Did you cognize that China holds the largest strategical lipid reserves successful the world? Amid ongoing disruptions owed to the US-Iran warfare and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, this information assumes significance.

Which is not to accidental that the world’s 2nd largest system is not babelike connected the Middle East to conscionable its monolithic lipid and vigor needs. The United States of America, which is the largest shaper of oil, holds the 2nd largest strategical lipid reserves, followed by Japan, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s (IEA) information investigation for December 2025.During the 1970s, the United States and different members of the OECD created strategical petroleum reserves to cushion their economies against disruptions successful lipid supply.

In March 2026, aft the Strait of Hormuz was efficaciously shut, the United States and chap members of the International Energy Agency jointly agreed to merchandise exigency crude supplies from these reserves.Based connected existent estimates, the largest strategical crude reserves astatine the extremity of December 2025 were held by China, which importantly expanded its holdings during 2025. Substantial strategical stockpiles are besides maintained crossed OECD Europe, arsenic good arsenic successful parts of the Middle East and Asia, the IEA investigation says.

Because galore countries bash not publically disclose elaborate information connected their strategical lipid reserves, these estimates person been prepared by IEA utilizing a cautious methodology. For nations that bash not support a formally designated strategical petroleum reserve, strategical inventories are defined arsenic lipid held by governments oregon nationalist lipid companies. In definite cases, lone onshore retention volumes are included.The appraisal excludes inventories stored successful commercialized facilities, offshore tankers, oregon underground retention sites.

China is the sole exception, wherever commercialized inventories are besides counted arsenic portion of strategical reserves. Similarly, though immoderate countries, including Japan, necessitate backstage companies to support lipid stocks for exigency purposes, lone government-owned reserves oregon inventories held by state-owned nationalist lipid companies are included successful these estimates.The investigation focuses connected the 10 countries with the largest estimated strategical lipid reserves and onshore retention capacity.

Together, these nations relationship for astir 70 per cent of full planetary strategical lipid holdings.

China

China importantly expanded its strategical crude reserves successful 2025. IEA estimates that the state added crude astatine an mean complaint of 1.1 cardinal barrels per time during the year, taking full strategical lipid inventories to astir 1.4 cardinal barrels by December 2025.Preliminary authoritative information suggest that China continued to physique its lipid stockpiles successful 2026, adjacent earlier the struggle involving Iran escalated.It’s noteworthy to cognize that China does not publically disclose its lipid inventory figures. Hence, IEA has derived the numbers utilizing import, export, refining, and banal information from some authoritative and third-party sources.IEA has included some government-owned and commercialized crude inventories successful China arsenic strategical reserves.Government-controlled crude reserves successful China are estimated to person averaged astir 360 cardinal barrels successful December 2025.

United States of America

The US established its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) successful December 1975. The reserve has a maximum retention capableness of 714 cardinal barrels of crude oil. By December 2025, holdings successful the SPR stood astatine 413 cardinal barrels.Inventory levels roseate further to much than 415 cardinal barrels successful March 2026, conscionable earlier the coordinated exigency release. As of April 10, 2026, stocks had eased to astir 409 cardinal barrels.The SPR is chiseled from the country's commercialized crude inventories, which are much than 400 cardinal barrels.

OECD Asia and Europe

Japan has the world’s third-largest strategical petroleum reserves, with government-owned stockpiles totaling 263 cardinal barrels arsenic of December 2025. This fig excludes lipid held nether planetary associated stockpiling arrangements, arsenic good arsenic commercialized inventories maintained for exigency usage nether Japanese regulations.Under Japan’s Oil Stockpiling Act, backstage manufacture is required to support reserves equivalent to 70 days of home demand, oregon astir 220 cardinal barrels.

This is abstracted from the government-managed strategical reserve, which covers an further 90 days of demand.According to the IEA, countries successful OECD Europe collectively held astir 179 cardinal barrels successful government-owned strategical lipid reserves arsenic of December 2025.South Korea besides maintained sizable strategical crude stockpiles, averaging 79 cardinal barrels during the aforesaid period.

Other Non-OECD Countries

Outside the OECD, estimating strategical lipid inventories is simply a challenge.

With the objection of India, reliable figures for countries specified arsenic Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran are not available.Estimates for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran are based connected mean refinery and commercialized banal levels for December 2025, arsenic reported by Vortexa and Kpler.Saudi Arabia is estimated to person held an mean of 82 cardinal barrels successful onshore retention astatine the extremity of December 2025. This estimation excludes crude reportedly stored astatine leased facilities overseas, including sites successful South Korea arsenic good arsenic the Okinawa and Kiire terminals successful Japan.The United Arab Emirates held an estimated 34 cardinal barrels of onshore lipid inventories during the aforesaid period. In addition, the UAE operates important underground retention facilities successful Fujairah, though the nonstop capableness and existent banal levels determination are not publically known. The state is besides reportedly moving to grow retention capableness astatine that location.Beyond its home storage, the UAE is understood to lease further capableness astatine the Yeosu larboard successful South Korea, the Kiire terminal successful Japan, and the Mangalore retention installation successful India.Iran is estimated to person maintained an mean of 71 cardinal barrels of onshore lipid inventories arsenic of December 2025. Although Iran is besides believed to store crude successful bonded facilities successful China, existent banal levels astatine those locations are not publically disposable and are truthful excluded from this estimate.

Where does India stand?

According to Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited, India held 21.4 cardinal barrels of crude lipid successful its strategical petroleum reserves arsenic of March 2025.In addition, astir 3 cardinal barrels of crude were stored astatine India’s Mangalore installation connected behalf of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. These volumes are not counted arsenic portion of India’s strategical reserves.Under the statement betwixt ADNOC and Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited, ADNOC is permitted to usage the Mangalore installation for commercialized storage. However, fractional of the site’s full capacity, which is astir 6 cardinal barrels, indispensable stay disposable for strategical usage by ISPRL whenever required.India has besides been evaluating options to grow its retention footprint beyond its borders. As portion of these efforts, it held discussions with Oman past twelvemonth regarding the anticipation of leasing retention abstraction for up to 5 cardinal barrels of crude oil.