Petrol and diesel prices have risen significantly across Europe since the escalation of the Middle East crisis. Euronews Business takes a closer look at the latest fuel prices.
Brent crude oil prices have been above $100 recently following the joint US–Israel strike against Iran. Consumer fuel prices have also increased significantly due to the crisis in the Middle East.
In the EU, petrol prices are about 15% higher and diesel prices around 30% higher in early April compared to late February 2026.
So, what are the latest fuel prices in Europe? Where are petrol and diesel the cheapest and the most expensive?
According to the European Commission’s Weekly Oil Prices Bulletin released on 2 April 2026, the average price of Euro-super 95 petrol in the EU is €1.871 per litre while diesel (gas oil) is €2.076 per litre. These prices reflect the situation on 30 March.
Most expensive diesel in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany
Within the EU, diesel prices per litre range from €1.21 in Malta to €2.46 in the Netherlands.
In addition to the Netherlands, the highest diesel prices are found in Denmark (€2.36), Germany (€2.29), Finland (€2.27) and Belgium (€2.23).
Diesel prices are also above the EU average in Austria (€2.20), France (€2.19), Ireland (€2.18), Sweden (€2.15), Lithuania (€2.12) and Greece (€2.12).
Cheapest diesel in Malta, Hungary and Slovenia
Malta is an outlier, with the lowest diesel prices at €1.21 per litre as the next cheapest countries are Hungary (€1.62), Slovenia (€1.62) and Bulgaria (€1.62).
It is also below €2 per litre in Slovakia (€1.69), Spain (€1.78), Cyprus (€1.84), Croatia (€1.88) and Czechia (€1.97).
Highest petrol prices mirror diesel price leaders
Petrol (Euro-super 95) prices per litre range from €1.34 in Malta to €2.33 in the Netherlands. This shows that both petrol and diesel prices are highest and lowest in the same countries.
The countries with the highest petrol prices are largely the same as for diesel. A litre of Euro-super 95 costs €2.23 in Denmark, €2.13 in Germany, and €2.05 in Finland.
Petrol prices are also above €2 per litre in Greece (€2.05) and France (€2.01).
While Malta (€1.34) has the lowest petrol price in the EU, it is not an outlier as in diesel, since Bulgaria follows closely at €1.44.
Euro-super 95 prices are also below €1.60 per litre in Slovenia (€1.51), Hungary (€1.54), Spain (€1.56), Slovakia (€1.58) and Cyprus (€1.58).
On average, the price of LPG motor fuel in the EU was €0.841 per litre. Italy (€0.66) has the lowest price, while Croatia (€1.26) has the highest.
Comparing fuel prices before the US–Israel strike, which started on 28 February 2026, with early April, petrol rose from €1.64 on 23 February to €1.87 on 30 March.
Over the same period, diesel increased from €1.59 to €2.08. This corresponds to a 14% increase in petrol prices and a 30% increase in diesel prices.
Share of taxes in fuel prices
A significant share of fuel prices in Europe comes from taxes. Euronews Business’s ‘Who pays the most fuel tax in Europe?’ article examines the tax share based on prices as of 16 March 2026.
At that date, taxes account for 44.6% of diesel prices and 52.1% of petrol prices. The highest tax share for petrol is in Slovenia (54.8%) whereas the lowest is in Bulgaria (43.9%).
For diesel, the highest share is in Malta (54.3%) and the lowest in Estonia (37.6%).
The total amount of tax paid in euros can differ from these shares, as pre-tax fuel prices vary widely across countries.
In 2024, according to Eurostat, 66.6% of new car registrations were petrol engine vehicles, 16.9% diesel engine vehicles, and 13.5% battery-only electric vehicles.
DW Russian 
