Global gas flaring rising twice as fast as oil production, World Bank says

As governments around the world deal with energy security concerns, rising demand, and the complexities of the energy transition, a growing volume of natural gas continues to be wasted.

Global gas flaring increased for the third consecutive year in 2025, reaching 167 billion cubic metres (bcm), according to the latest Global Gas Flaring Tracker released by the World Bank Group.

The figure represents a six-year high and equates to approximately $54 billion worth of wasted gas that could otherwise have been used to generate electricity, support industry, and strengthen energy security.  

The scale of the waste is significant. The amount of gas flared last year was nearly equivalent to Africa’s annual gas consumption and exceeded the volume of liquefied natural gas (LNG) that transited the Arabian Gulf during the same period.

The highest flaring countries 

In several oil-producing nations, large volumes of associated gas continue to be burned off at production sites rather than captured and brought to market.

According to the report, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, and the US in that order account for 80% of global gas flaring despite representing less than half of the world’s oil production. These countries have dominated gas flaring for the past 15 years.

The World Bank argues that reducing routine flaring presents an opportunity to address both energy security and emissions challenges. It estimates that eliminating routine flaring worldwide would require investments of between $70-$100 billion, which is less than twice the annual value of the gas currently being wasted.

For many developing economies, this represents a contradiction. Several countries continue to import expensive natural gas while simultaneously flaring substantial quantities of domestic gas resources at oilfields. Capturing and utilising this gas could help expand power generation capacity, lower energy costs, and create new revenue streams.

The World Bank argues that reducing routine flaring presents an opportunity to address both energy security and emissions challenges. It estimates that eliminating routine flaring worldwide would require investments of between $70-$100 billion, which is less than twice the annual value of the gas currently being wasted.

“At a time when many countries are struggling to increase affordable and reliable energy, the economic development costs of continued flaring are simply too high,” said Demetrios Papathanasiou, Global Director for Energy at the World Bank Group.

Despite decades of technological progress, industry experts argue that the barriers to reducing flaring are no longer technical. Gas capture technologies, processing systems, and financing mechanisms are widely available. Instead, progress is often hindered by regulatory shortcomings, inadequate infrastructure, financing constraints, and a lack of political and corporate prioritisation.

According to Zubin Bamji, World Bank Manager for the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership, the challenge now is one of leadership and execution rather than innovation.

“The technologies, policies, regulations and financing mechanisms needed to capture and utilise associated gas are available,” Bamji said. “What is missing, in too many places, is the leadership, prioritisation and governance needed to put these solutions into practice.”

But the industry is keen on reducing flaring, as can be seen from steps taken by several countries. 

“The technologies, policies, regulations, and financing mechanisms needed to capture and utilise associated gas are available. What is missing, in too many places, is the leadership, prioritisation, and governance needed to put these solutions into practice, creating access to markets and infrastructure.”

- Zubin Bamji, World Bank Manager for the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership

The World Bank noted the US was the only country that saw its flaring volumes decrease in 2025, even though oil production increased by 3% last year. Flaring quantities and intensity decreased by 13% and 15%, respectively in the Permian Basin, which was the main cause of this fall. The Matterhorn Express pipeline, which went into service at the end of 2024 and offered a practical export route for associated gas from the Permian, was a major factor in the decrease in flaring in the region.

Where governments and operators have implemented strong policies and invested in supporting infrastructure, results have followed. Kazakhstan, for example, has reduced gas flaring by 87% since 2012, including a further 16% decline in 2025 alone, demonstrating the impact of sustained regulatory action and industry commitment.

The situation in Argentina has been somewhat alleviated by new pipelines and gas processing developments, and flaring intensity has steadily decreased, with a notable decrease in both flaring quantities and intensity in 2025. In the same year, India passed new regulations requiring more stringent oversight and limiting flaring to 0.5% of field output. Producers have been able to stabilise operations in Syria thanks to peace following the end of political conflict. 

Saudi Arabia, Mozambique, Ghana, and Uzbekistan also saw small reductions in flare volumes.

The methane factor 

Flaring releases harmful gases, most importantly, methane. According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), 125 million tonnes (Mt) of methane were released into the atmosphere in 2024. 

Moreover, World Bank data found that flaring in 2025 generated 429 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMtCO₂e) in total emissions, of which 50 MMtCO₂e came from unburned methane due to incomplete combustion.

While this is alarming, there is good news. Methane emissions are projected to fall in the lead up to 2050 in all models shown by the IEA. With no methane abatement policies, the figure could drop to 98 Mt by 2050. This is of course, if methane emissions remain constant, with changes in emissions tied to changes in fossil fuel demand.

However, if the IEA’s ‘Stated Policies’ are followed, this number could fall to 71 Mt. The Stated Policies Scenario is a model based on what governments are currently doing to reduce emissions. This includes actual practices, not aspirational goals. 

If countries strictly follow a full methane abatement policy, global emissions could be restricted to 13 Mt. 

“Around 70% of methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector could be avoided with existing technologies, often at a low cost,” the IEA said.