World oil demand to keep growing this decade despite 2027 China peak, IEA says

By Alex Lawler

LONDON (Reuters) -Global oil demand will keep growing until around the end of this decade despite peaking in top importer China in 2027, as cheaper gasoline and slower electric vehicle adoption in the United States support oil use, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday.

The IEA, which advises industrialised countries, did not change its prediction that demand will peak this decade, a view that sharply contrasts with that of producer group the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) which says consumption will keep growing and has not forecast a peak.

Oil demand will peak at 105.6 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2029 and then fall slightly in 2030, a table in the Paris-based IEA's annual report shows. At the same time, global production capacity is forecast to rise by more than 5 million bpd to 114.7 million bpd by 2030.

A conflict between Israel and Iran has highlighted the risk to Middle East supplies, helping send oil prices up 5% to above $74 a barrel on Friday. Still, the latest forecasts suggest ample supplies through 2030 if there are no major disruptions, the IEA said. 

"Based on the fundamentals, oil markets look set to be well-supplied in the years ahead," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol in a statement. "But recent events sharply highlight the significant geopolitical risks to oil supply security," Birol said.

After decades of leading global oil demand growth, China's contribution is sputtering as it faces economic challenges as well as making a big shift to EVs.

The world's second-largest economy is set to see its oil consumption peak in 2027, following a surge in EV sales and the deployment of high-speed rail and trucks running on natural gas, the IEA said. In February, it predicted China's demand for road and air transport fuels may have already peaked.

China's total oil consumption in 2030 is now set to be only marginally higher than in 2024, the IEA said, compared with growth of around 1 million bpd forecast in last year's report.

By contrast, lower gasoline prices and slower EV adoption in the United States, the world's largest oil consumer, have boosted the 2030 oil demand forecast by 1.1 million bpd compared with the previous prediction, the IEA said.

Since returning to office, U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded OPEC lower oil prices and taken aim at EVs through steps such as signing resolutions approved by lawmakers barring California's EV sales mandates.

(Editing by Tomasz Janowski)