After the outbreak of the war in Iran, the government and the population of Latvia began to accuse fuel sellers of greed - the rise in gasoline and diesel prices was enormous. Sellers assured that this was the market situation - fuel prices were rising everywhere. But according to recently published data from Eurostat, only in a few EU countries was this increase more rapid.
Until February 2026, fuel and lubricant prices for personal transport in the EU as a whole were decreasing — both on average across the EU and in most countries. However, in March 2026, there was a significant increase.
In March 2026, fuel and lubricant prices in the EU rose by 12.9% compared to March 2025. Almost all EU countries also recorded an annual increase in prices. The highest increases were noted in Germany (+19.8%), Romania (+19.6%), the Netherlands (+18.8%), Latvia (+18.5%), and Austria (+17.2%). In Hungary and Slovenia, prices decreased by 2.7% and 5.9% respectively compared to March 2025, but the decline was less pronounced compared to February 2026.
In Estonia and Lithuania, where the situation is similar to that in Latvia, the increase in fuel prices was lower. In Estonia, it was 10.6%, and in Lithuania - 15.6%.
When considering diesel and gasoline prices in the EU separately, in March 2026, their prices increased by 19.8% and 9.4% respectively compared to March 2025. On a monthly basis (compared to February 2026), consumers faced a price increase of 19.1% for diesel and 10.6% for gasoline.
Prices for both types of fuel rose in all EU countries from February to March 2026. For diesel, the highest increase was recorded in the Czech Republic and Sweden (both +27.6%), Estonia (+26.8%), Latvia (+25.4%), Belgium (+25.2%), and the Netherlands (+25.1%), while the lowest was in Slovenia (+2.9%), Slovakia, and Hungary (both +7.0%). In all other countries, the increase exceeded 10%.
The increase in gasoline prices in EU countries was less significant than that for diesel. The highest monthly increases were recorded in Belgium (+15.1%), Sweden (+15.0%), Austria (+14.8%), the Czech Republic (+14.6%), as well as in Estonia and Lithuania (both +14.2%). The lowest monthly increases were noted in Slovenia (+2.4%), Slovakia (+3.8%), Hungary (+4.7%), and Italy (+4.8%).
Leave a comment