Project name: How is road diesel reported in international energy statistics (2025)

Author : Seydou DIA

Last update: 10-11-2025

Contact: Linkedin

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Information¶

In this note we explore how road diesel is reported within the oil information dataset published by the International Energy Agency. Our focus is on understanding the approaches countries use to report road diesel demand, viewed through the lens of energy statistics. In this work we are looking at 2023 road diesel demand data and presenting the definitions of diesel products according to international energy statistics in OECD countries. This data is reported through annual questionnaires and directly reported to the IEA by statistical authorities within reporting countries.

When it comes to energy statistics reporting instructions, the product definitions that countries follow are derived from the Oil Questionnaire Instructions. According to current definitions, gas/diesel oil is primarily a medium distillate, distilling between 180°C and 380°C. Several grades are available depending on their intended use.

When it comes to diesel, countries should report the following products:

  • Non–bio gas/diesel oil
    This category consists of gas diesel oil as defined above excluding Biodiesel.
  • Biodiesels
    This category includes liquid biofuels suitable to be blended with or replace gas/diesel oil from fossil origin.

While reporting the split between Road Diesel and Heating and Other Gasoil is not mandatory under Regulation (EC) No 1099/2008 on energy statistics, countries report the following:

  • Road diesel:
    • On–road diesel oil for diesel compression ignition (cars, trucks, etc.), usually of low sulphur content.
  • Heating and Other Gasoil:
    • Light heating oil for industrial and commercial uses
    • Marine diesel and diesel used in rail traffic
    • Other gas oil including heavy gas oils which distil between 380°C and 540°C and which are used as petrochemical feedstocks

Note: Biodiesel + Non-bio gas /diesel oil should be equal to Road diesel + Heating and other gasoil.

In the analysis below, we will refer to road diesel for the energy product, and road sector / road transport for the energy flow.

Note on road diesel demand reported through annual oil questionnaires¶

21 countries out of 36 report less than 10% of road diesel demand in sectors different than road. Among the top five road diesel reporting countries, the USA, Canada and Australia - ranked respectively 1st, 4th and 5th largest road diesel consumers in 2023 - report 31%, 44% and 47% of their road diesel demand in non-road sectors (see figure above).
The main non-transport sectors where road diesel is reported fall under the category Other sectors which includes Residential, Commercial and Services, Agriculture/Forestry, and Fishing. These account on average for an 8% share accross road diesel demand for countries where data is reported (see figure above). In addition, countries also report road diesel demand in the Energy sector which includes Oil & Gas Extraction as well as Mining and Quarrying (see figure below).
There could be multiple reasons why countries report road diesel demand under categories other than road transport. One key reason, stems from the reporting guidelines which indicates that road transport demand should: "Exclude motor gasoline and diesel used in stationary engines (which should be reported under the relevant economic sector), diesel oil for non–highway use in tractors (see Agriculture/forestry – Other sectors), military use (see Not elsewhere specified – Other sectors) and gasoil used in engines at construction sites (see Construction – Industry sector)." This means that although the product meets the characteristics of fuel used in ignition engines (see definition above), it cannot be reported under the "Road" category if countries follow the guidelines. For example, trucks operating on construction sites use diesel, but this demand should be reported under the Construction sector, not under Road transport. Similarly, in sectors like Agriculture and Forestry, the share of road diesel demand is non-negligeable in countries like Canada (14%), Mexico (16%) or Poland (13%) and the use of this gas diesel oil does not necessarily fall under Road transport.

Conclusion¶

There is an inherent challenge for countries when reporting road diesel consumption. Ideally, this fuel should solely be reported under road transport. This highlights a key challenge for countries when compilling energy statistics. Countries ofter stuggle when collecting data from their reporting units to distinguish between diesel used specifically for road transport and diesel consumed by other economic sectors - such as industry, services or agriculture- for road-related purposed. As a result, the reported figures may not accurately reflect actual road transport demand, creating inconsistencies and limiting the comparability of data across countries.

Sources¶

  • IEA. Data and Statistics, Energy data collection and training is at the heart of the IEA’s work. IEA, November 2025, https://www.iea.org/about/data-and-statistics
  • IEA. Energy Statistics Manual. IEA, 2004. https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-statistics-manual.
  • IEA and Eurostat. Oil Annual Questionnaire Instructions. IEA and Eurostat, 2025. https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/72badcbd-9e07-4bb8-8fff-347fef3de134/Oil_Questionnaire_Instructions.pdf
  • IEA. Oil Information. OECD and selected countries product supply and consumption, July 2025 release. https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-product/oil-information#oecd-and-selected-countries-product-supply-and-consumption