The global trade volume of liquefied natural gas (LNG) reached 407 million tons in 2024, according to the annual review by Shell LNG Outlook 2025.
World LNG trade saw a modest increase of just 3 million tons in 2024, marking the lowest annual growth in a decade, as noted by experts from the British-Dutch company.
The largest contribution to this growth came from China (over 6 million tons), with significant increases also seen in imports from India (over 4 million tons), Egypt, South Korea, and Brazil. Europe notably reduced its imports.
Shell analysts slightly improved their forecast for long-term global LNG demand. For the year 2040, they estimate a range of 630-718 million tons, compared to the previous year's range of 625-685 million tons.