Automobiles Per Capita Infoporn.

Via the venerable, Policy Pete, comes this interesting graph, courtesy of ExxonMobil: (As always, click on graphic for larger view.)






The OECD, for those not familiar with the myriad international organizations is an organization of economically developed, democratic countries devoted to peace and prosperity. It was orignally set up after WWII. It includes, as one might expect, all the European democracies, Canada and the U.S., as well as Australia, et. al. Full membership list here . OECD membership is often used in geo-economic studies as shorthand for "the First World," or "The Northern Economies." Notably absent are; China, India, South Africa, Indonesia, Brazil, and the rest of South America. In other words, more than two-thirds of the Earth's population.

Back to the graph. Note that both axes are on a log scale and that the top value of the y-axis is 1000 cars per 1000 people. Note also how as the non-OECD countries start to have larger segments of the population achieving reasonable living standards how the value starts to get very close to that 1:1 ratio.

What do you suppose the oil demand curve will start to look like as more and more of the 3-billion plus non-OECD humans start to get into that US$20,000 - 40,000 range? Note the total fleet. It nearly triples from 2000 to 2030.