Libya was among nine countries responsible for more than four-fifths of global gas flaring in 2025, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report, raising fresh concerns over wasted energy, lost revenues, and the need for stronger investment in gas recovery.
The World Bank said global gas flaring rose for the third consecutive year in 2025, reaching 167 billion cubic metres, the highest level since 2019. The value of the gas burned was estimated at $54 billion, at a time when many countries are struggling with high energy costs, import pressures, and domestic supply shortages.
According to the report, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, and the United States accounted for more than 80% of global gas flaring, while producing nearly half of the world’s oil. The findings place Libya among the major oil-producing countries where large quantities of associated gas are still being burned instead of captured and used.
Gas flaring is the burning of natural gas produced during oil extraction. It is often carried out when there is limited infrastructure to capture, process, transport, or sell the gas. The practice wastes a valuable energy resource and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, while depriving economies of potential revenue.
The World Bank said the volume of gas flared globally in 2025 was almost equal to Africa’s entire annual gas consumption and exceeded the amount of liquefied natural gas that passed through the Persian Gulf during the same year. Capturing this gas, it added, could help generate electricity, support industries, create jobs, reduce import bills, and improve energy security.
The report stated that eliminating routine gas flaring worldwide would require an estimated $70 billion to $100 billion in investment. This is less than twice the annual value of the gas currently being wasted. The World Bank said the challenge is not mainly technical, as the technologies needed to capture and use associated gas already exist. Instead, the main obstacles include weak regulation, limited access to finance, inadequate infrastructure, underdeveloped gas markets, and the failure of some operators and governments to treat flaring reduction as a priority.
Zubin Bamji, Manager of the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Partnership, said the technologies, policies, regulations, and financing tools needed to capture and use associated gas are already available. He added that what is missing in many places is leadership, stronger governance, and the practical steps needed to connect gas recovery projects to markets and infrastructure.
He warned that the cost of inaction would be measured in billions of dollars in lost revenue, as well as continued energy insecurity for millions of people.
The World Bank pointed to Kazakhstan as an example of progress, saying the country has reduced gas flaring by 87% since 2012, including a further 16% decline in 2025 alone. It said the results showed that strong regulation, investment, and political commitment can sharply reduce flaring even in major oil-producing economies.
For Libya, the findings add pressure to improve the use of its natural resources, especially as the country seeks to increase oil and gas revenues, modernise energy infrastructure, and reduce waste across the sector.
