Gas Flaring Declined in 2020, Study Finds A new report offers a detailed picture of flaring around the world, with steep declines in some areas and surprising increases in others. Gas flares in Ughelli, Nigeria, in September.Credit...Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters May 10, 2021 LAGOS, Nigeria — Gas flaring worldwide decreased by 5 percent in the pandemic year, mostly because of lower demand for oil, according to a recent report from the World Bank. While the overall drop was expected, the report offered a detailed picture of the flaring activities around the world, with steep declines in some areas, like the United States, and surprising increases in others, notably China.