Chart of the Day: Low Global Demand for Oil Probably Points to a Sluggish Global Economy

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

Stuart Staniford notes that oil production, which plateaued in early 2012, has since dropped off:

OPEC has revised down their numbers for June significantly and both the IEA and OPEC show very slight increases in July relatively to June. The overall effect is now that production appears to have fallen about 1mbd in June versus the plateau level that obtained from January to May, and has not recovered in July….Prices rebounded slightly in June — but nowhere near the level of earlier in the year.

This is a bad economic indicator. If a drop in supply doesn’t stimulate a rise in prices, it means either that inventories are high — which they aren’t — or that global demand is dropping significantly. And if global demand is dropping, that most likely means the global economy is turning down.

It’s just one data point. No need to start tearing your hair out over it. But it’s a pretty big data point.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate