Global gas flaring surged for a second year in a row, wasting about $63 billion in lost energy and setting back efforts to manage emissions and boost energy security and access. Flaring reached 151 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2024, up 3 bcm from the previous year and the highest level in almost two decades. An estimated 389 million tons of CO₂ equivalent—46 million of that from unburnt methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases—was needlessly emitted.
While some countries have reduced flaring, the top nine largest-flaring countries continue to account for three-quarters of all flaring, but less than half of global oil production. Satellite data compiled and analyzed in the World Bank’s annual Global Gas Flaring Tracker shows that flaring intensity—the amount of gas flared per barrel of oil produced—has remained stubbornly high for the last 15 years.
The share of total flaring from the top nine flaring countries – Russia, Iran, Iraq, the United States, Venezuela, Algeria, Libya, Mexico, and Nigeria – has increased from 65 percent in 2012 to 76 percent of total flaring in 2024.
The flaring in the remaining 70+ countries decreased from 35 percent in 2012 to 24 percent of total flaring in 2024.
The combined share of total flaring in the three consistently largest flaring countries – Russia, Iran, and Iraq – has grown from 33 percent to 46 percent.
Their combined flare volume is over 22 bcm higher than in 2012. During this period, flaring volumes in Russia and Iran have steadily increased, and have remained largely unchanged in Iraq since 2016. In other top flaring countries, including the United States, Venezuela, Algeria, Libya, and Mexico, the combined flare volume was about 3 bcm higher than in 2012, while Nigeria flared less gas in 2024 compared to 2012.
The report highlights that countries committed to the Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 (ZRF) initiative have performed significantly better than countries that have not made the commitment. Since 2012, countries that endorsed ZRF achieved an average 12% reduction in flaring intensity, whereas those that did not saw a 25% increase.
To accelerate progress, the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership is supporting methane and flaring reduction projects through catalytic grants, technical assistance, policy and regulatory reform advisory services, capacity building, and institutional strengthening. For example, in Uzbekistan, GFMR allocated $11 million to identify and fix methane leaks in the gas transportation network, cutting methane emissions by 9,000 tons annually, and potentially reaching up to 100,000 tons each year.
“Governments and operators must make flaring reduction a priority, or this practice will persist. The solutions exist. With effective policies we can create favorable conditions that incentivize flaring reduction projects and lead to sustainable, scalable action. We should turn this wasted gas into an engine for economic development.” said Zubin Bamji, World Bank Manager for the Global Flaring & Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership.