
More or Less
Trump fact-check: Do the US and Venezuela have 60% of the world’s oil?
26 September 2026
Available for over a year
US president Donald Trump has claimed in a speech to the UN that the US and Venezuela combined now have 60% of the world’s oil.
100% of the team on More or Less were confused.
What measurement was the president using to get to this figure? Barrels of oil produced a day? Reserves of oil in the ground? It’s hard to make any of these stats add up.
To find out whether there was any truth in the claim, we spoke to energy expert Bill Farren-Price of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
If you spot any numbers you think we should take a look at, email us at moreorless@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Researcher: Kateryna Pavlyuk
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Sound Mix: Neil Churchill
