India ranks third in oil consumption with 221 million tons in 2017 after which two countries?

• A. United States and China
• B. United States and Japan
• C. China and Japan
• D. United Kingdom and United States

Answer: (A)

This question tests understanding of which countries had the largest total oil demand in 2017. Oil consumption is a reflection of how much energy a country uses across transportation, industry, and power needs. The United States has long had the highest oil use due to its large, car-driven transportation system and energy-intensive industry. China, with its massive and rapidly growing industrial sector and expanding vehicle fleet, also consumes a huge amount of oil. India, while growing quickly, still uses less oil in total than both of these nations, placing it third in 2017 with about 221 million tons.

So the two countries ranking ahead of India in that year are the United States and China.