Global natural gas consumption is forecast to fall 0.5% this year, mainly because higher prices are curbing demand from power generators and industry after the U.S.-Iran conflict tightened supplies, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday. Global gas demand is expected to fall by around 0.5%, or 20 billion cubic metres, in 2026, marking the third annual decline this decade after decreases in 2020 and 2022, the IEA said in its third-quarter 2026 Gas Market Report.