World Bank warns $54 billion gas flaring waste equals Africa's total demand

A World Bank report released with the Global Gas Flaring Tracker shows that 167 billion cubic metres of natural gas were flared in 2025, the highest level since 2019 and a 10 billion‑cubic‑metre jump from the previous year. The wasted gas represents about US$54 billion in lost value and the emissions from flaring amounted to 429 million tonnes of CO₂‑equivalent, including 50 million tonnes of unburned methane – roughly the impact of five million additional fossil‑fuel cars.

The study notes that the increase in flaring outpaced oil‑production growth, which rose only 3.3 %. While the United States achieved a 7 % reduction in flaring, Russia accounted for 18 % of global flaring and increased its activity by 9 % in 2025. Iran, Iraq and Venezuela also posted higher flaring volumes, whereas Kazakhstan cut its flaring by 87 % since 2012 through regulation and technology upgrades.