Opec's first global oil demand projections for 2026 see consumption growth of just over 1.4mn b/d, roughly the same as its forecast for this year.
In its Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) today, Opec forecast oil demand growing by 1.43mn b/d to 106.63mn b/d, underpinned by continued "solid economic activity in Asia and other non-OECD countries."
Opec sees consumption growing by 1.45mn b/d this year, unchanged from its previous estimate.
But it trimmed its 2024 demand growth estimate by 70,000 b/d to 1.54mn b/d, a sixth consecutive monthly downward revision. This brings Opec further in line with forecasters such as the IEA and EIA, but the gap between them remains large, particularly given 2024 has ended.
Opec's oil demand growth estimate for 2024 is 600,000 b/d above that of the IEA's 940,000 b/d. And there is now an 850,000 b/d gap between Opec's 2024 total oil demand estimate of 103.75mn b/d and the IEA's 102.9mn b/d. Opec's oil demand growth estimate for 2025 is 400,000 b/d above the IEA's forecast for 1.05mn b/d.
China, which has long driven global oil demand growth but whose economy is now slowing, is projected to add 270,000 b/d in 2026, compared with 310,000 b/d in 2025, around 300,000 b/d in 2024 and about 1.4mn b/d in 2023.
In terms of supply, the producer group sees non-Opec+ liquids supply growth at 1.1mn b/d, the same as 2025 and again driven by gains from the US, Brazil and Canada. It said non-Opec+ liquids supply increased by 1.3mn b/d in 2024.
Opec+ crude production — including Mexico — fell by 14,000 b/d to 40.65mn in December, according to an average of secondary sources that includes Argus. Opec put the call on Opec+ crude at 42.5mn b/d for this year and 42.7mn b/d for next.