Key figures from the chart
- China’s crude oil imports reached 11.1 million barrels a day in 2024, up from about 1.4 million in 2000. The chart puts the growth at 9.0% a year (compound annual growth rate).
- Russia was the largest supplier in 2024 at 2,194 thousand barrels a day, up from 30 thousand in 2000.
- Saudi Arabia (1,552), Malaysia (1,387) and Iraq (1,237) follow. Oman, the largest named supplier in 2000 with 314, supplied 823 in 2024.
- Iran supplied 140 thousand barrels a day in 2000. Its band fades out before 2024 and no 2024 value is printed.
- All figures are from the graphic, which cites China’s customs data.
China crude oil imports by supplier in text
The chart is a stacked stream chart titled “Top Crude Oil Suppliers to China (2000 to 2024)”. Each coloured band is one supplier and its thickness shows the volume shipped to China in that year, in thousand barrels per day (Kb/D). Values are printed at both ends of the chart.
| Supplier (band, top to bottom) | 2000, thousand barrels a day | 2024, thousand barrels a day |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | 30 | 2,194 |
| Saudi Arabia | 115 | 1,552 |
| Malaysia | 15 | 1,387 |
| Iraq | 64 | 1,237 |
| Oman | 314 | 823 |
| UAE | 9 | 720 |
| Brazil | 5 | 715 |
| Angola | 173 | 561 |
| Iran | 140 | not shown |
| Rest of World | 544 | 1,898 |
| Sum of the printed values (our arithmetic) | 1,409 | 11,087 |
Other text on the graphic: a box reading “Total Exports 2024, 11.1 Mb/D”; a circle reading “Growth 2000 to 2024, 9.0% (CAGR)”; the axis label “Exports to China (Kb/D*)” with the footnote “*Thousand Barrels per Day”; x axis labels 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2024; and the footer “Source of Primary Data: Customs of of China”, www.econovis.net and @econovisuals.
The column sums are our own arithmetic. They come to 1,409 for 2000 and 11,087 for 2024, which match the 1.4 million and 11.1 million barrels a day that Econovis gives [1].
How the supplier mix changed after 2010
In the post that carries this chart, Econovis says China’s total crude imports grew at 6.2% a year between 2010 and 2024 [1]. Imports from Russia grew much faster, at 15.1% a year, followed by the UAE (14.7%), Iraq (12.9%), Brazil (11.2%) and Oman (7.0%). Imports from Saudi Arabia grew 4.0% a year, while imports from Angola fell 2.4% a year [1].
In a separate post on the 2024 figures, Econovis says Russia’s 2.19 million barrels a day was 41% more than Saudi Arabia’s 1.55 million, and that Russia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Iraq together supplied 57.5% of China’s crude imports in 2024 [2]. By 2024, according to Econovis, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iraq and Iran supplied more than half of China’s imports, with Russia at 20% [1].
Iran and Malaysia
The chart shows Iran’s band shrinking to nothing and Malaysia’s band widening sharply over the same years. Econovis says Iran’s direct crude exports to China have stopped since 2020 and that Malaysia has become a top supplier [1]. Because Malaysia is a relatively small oil producer, Econovis says it is likely that some of these shipments are Iranian oil declared as Malaysian to get round sanctions [1][2]. This is Econovis’s reading of the customs data; the customs figures themselves record the oil as Malaysian.
Notes on this infographic
- Data source. The footer reads “Customs of of China”; the word “of” is repeated on the graphic.
- Iran. Iran has a 2000 value (140) but no 2024 value. Econovis says direct exports from Iran ceased after 2020 [1].
- Malaysia. The Malaysia figure probably includes relabelled Iranian oil, according to the chart’s maker [1][2].
- Other suppliers. Only nine countries get their own band. Every other supplier is grouped as Rest of World.
- Data date. Values are yearly figures from 2000 to 2024 and will not reflect later years.
Questions about China crude oil imports
Where does China buy oil from?
On this chart, China’s largest crude suppliers in 2024 were Russia (2,194 thousand barrels a day), Saudi Arabia (1,552), Malaysia (1,387), Iraq (1,237), Oman (823), the UAE (720), Brazil (715) and Angola (561). Other countries together supplied 1,898 thousand barrels a day.
How much crude oil does China import from Russia?
Russia supplied 2,194 thousand barrels a day of crude oil to China in 2024, up from 30 thousand in 2000, making it China's largest supplier. Econovis says Russia's 2.19 million barrels a day was 41% more than Saudi Arabia's 1.55 million [2]. Imports from Russia grew at 15.1% a year between 2010 and 2024 [1].
How much crude oil does China import per day?
China's crude oil imports reached 11.1 million barrels a day in 2024, up from about 1.4 million in 2000. The chart puts the growth at 9.0% a year (compound annual growth rate). Econovis says China's total crude imports grew at 6.2% a year between 2010 and 2024 [1].
Why does China import so much oil from Malaysia?
Econovis says it is likely that some of Malaysia's shipments to China are Iranian oil declared as Malaysian to get round sanctions, because Malaysia is a relatively small oil producer [1][2]. Malaysia supplied 1,387 thousand barrels a day in 2024, up from 15 thousand in 2000. Econovis also says Iran's direct crude exports to China have stopped since 2020 [1]. The customs figures themselves record the oil as Malaysian.
Sources
- Econovis, China’s Top Crude Oil Suppliers, A Two-Decade Transformation (2000 to 2024), the original post for this chart.
- Econovis, Russia Becomes China’s Top Crude Oil Supplier in 2024 with 2.19 Mb/D.
- Econovis, econovis.net, publisher of the chart.
Last reviewed 29 October 2026
