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How much oil does the US make?

US crude oil production has more than doubled over the past decade. So, what is the state of oil production in the US today? Is the country producing enough to meet demands, and how has the industry changed over the past decade? Get the data in this new article.

• US crude oil production more than doubled between 2011 and 2022. The United States has been the world’s largest producer of crude oil since 2018. Production peaked in 2019 with an average output of 12.3 million barrels daily.

• Five states were responsible for more than 70% of US crude oil production last year: Texas (42.4% of total production), New Mexico (13.2%), North Dakota (8.9%), Alaska (3.7%), and Colorado (3.6%). Another 14.7% came from territory off the Gulf of Mexico.
  
  

• Since 2015, oil extracted through hydraulic fracturing (often called fracking) has accounted for over half of US crude oil production. In 2022, two-thirds of all US oil came from fracking, compared to under 7% two decades ago. Alaskan oil production has decreased over the past 40 years but production has grown in Texas, New Mexico, and North Dakota, partially due to the adoption of fracking.
  
  

• The US consumed an average of 20.3 million barrels of petroleum daily in 2022, or about 7.4 billion barrels a year. Most domestically produced or imported crude oil is refined into gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and jet fuel.

How has oil production changed in your state since 1981? Find out here.

Why aren’t people joining the military?

The US military is facing an unprecedented challenge in recruitment, with some branches falling short of their goals and a decline in eligible young Americans. As the appeal of military service competes with the job market, here are the reasons behind enlisting — or not.

• The Marine Corps and Space Force anticipate meeting their 2023 recruitment goals. However, the Army expects to recruit 55,000 new soldiers, 10,000 behind its goal. The Air Force expects to be 10,000 people short, and the Navy expects a 6,000-person shortfall. 

• In 2020, the Defense Department estimated that 23% of Americans ages 17–24 were eligible for military service, down 29% from 2016.

  
  

• One of the top reasons for dwindling military numbers is obesity: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that more than one in three young adults is too heavy to join the military.

  
  

• There were 1.3 million active-duty military in 2022, 39% fewer than in 1987 — the recent peak. 

• In a poll from spring 2022, 2% of people ages 16 to 24 replied, “Definitely” to the likelihood of joining the military. Eight percent responded, “Probably,” while 89% were unlikely to consider joining.
  
  

• Pay, future educational opportunities, and travel were the top three reasons people say they would join the military.

Learn more about challenges to recruiting in this article.

Data behind the news

Relief efforts are underway in Hawaii after the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. Get context on what happens when the president issues a disaster declaration.

Last week marked one year since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The sweeping bill covered issues from green energy to IRS enforcement. Here’s a look at the proposed changes in corporate taxes from last year. 

It’s time again for the weekly fact quiz.

One last fact

Midwesterners are not just more likely to be married but also more likely to be married younger and longer compared to the rest of the country. The West Coast, Northeast, and Florida specifically have later median ages of first marriage and higher proportions of same-sex couples.