Foreign media: Global strategic petroleum reserve rankings show that China leads with approximately 1.4 billion barrels of reserves, exceeding the combined total of the next nine major reserve countries and holding a dominant position in global land-based storage.
The United States ranks second with 413 million barrels, Japan third with 263 million barrels, and OECD Europe collectively fourth with 179 million barrels. Following are Saudi Arabia (82 million barrels), South Korea (79 million barrels), Iran (71 million barrels), the UAE (34 million barrels), and India (21 million barrels). These countries together account for about 70% of the world's total reserves.
China's massive reserves reflect its high dependence on overseas supply, especially critical shipping lanes such as the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. strategic petroleum reserve was established after the 1973 oil crisis. In March 2026, member countries of the International Energy Agency coordinated the release of the largest-ever emergency oil reserve to address severe supply disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864637193063428/
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