MOSCOW, August 20. /TASS/. The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) lowered its estimate of global gas demand growth in 2025 to 1.8%.

"For the full year 2025, global gas consumption growth has been revised down to 1.8%, influenced by reduction in the industrial sector," the forum said. Asian and North American countries will account for the bulk of demand growth.

GECF expected earlier that global natural gas consumption will grow in each of 2025 and 2026 but noted that the tariff war waged by the US creates significant risks for the gas market.

In the first half of 2025, gas consumption in some top gas consumers with their share totaling 75% of global gas demand increased by 2% annually to 1.808 trillion cubic meters, according to the GECF estimate.