EU fuel prices in 2026: from the strikes on Iran to the September records

Editorial overview, based on the EU Weekly Oil Bulletin

In the 40 Weekly Oil Bulletins published for 2026 so far, the EU average price of diesel rose from €1.54/l on 5 January 2026 to €2.15/l on 5 October 2026 (+39.1%), and that of petrol (Euro-super 95) from €1.60/l to €2.01/l (+25.0%). Diesel set new all-time highs in spring and again in September; petrol did so only in September.

This is an overview written on 11 October 2026, not a news item from the time: it puts the year’s bulletins side by side. All prices are the EU-27 averages weighted by the European Commission, taxes included, for the Monday of each bulletin.

March: the strikes on Iran and the diesel shock

On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched joint air strikes on Iran, and oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz plunged in the following days, according to the International Energy Agency (Oil Market Report, 12 March 2026).

In the bulletin of 9 March 2026, the EU average price of diesel rose by 14.3% in one week, from €1.63/l to €1.86/l: the largest weekly rise in the Commission’s series, which starts in 2005. Petrol rose by 6.6%, from €1.66/l to €1.77/l. Diesel kept climbing: +4.7% on 16 March 2026 and +5.9% on 23 March 2026, to €2.06/l.

Spring: three diesel records, then the first fall

With €2.06/l on 23 March 2026, diesel passed its previous record of €2.03/l, set on 27 June 2022. It set two more records: €2.08/l on 30 March 2026 and €2.11/l on 6 April 2026. The first large fall came on 20 April 2026: diesel −4.4%, from €2.10/l to €2.01/l.

June and July: a ceasefire, then a new rise

The IEA reports that an interim ceasefire allowed flows through the Strait of Hormuz to recover in June, and crude prices fell (Oil Market Report, 10 July 2026). In the bulletin of 22 June 2026, diesel fell by 4.1%, from €1.80/l to €1.73/l, and petrol by 2.4%, from €1.80/l to €1.76/l. Diesel reached its summer low of €1.72/l on 29 June 2026.

According to the IEA, the mid-June ceasefire broke down and the strait was effectively closed again in early July (Oil Market Report, 12 August 2026). Diesel rose in four bulletins in a row: +2.9%, +3.2%, +5.7% and +4.3%, from €1.72/l to €2.01/l (+17.1%). Petrol rose by 3.3% on 6 July 2026 and by 3.1% on 20 July 2026.

September: records for both fuels

On 7 September 2026, petrol reached €2.04/l, above its previous record of €2.03/l from 13 June 2022, and set new records in each of the next three bulletins, up to €2.10/l on 28 September 2026. Diesel passed its spring record on 14 September 2026 (€2.16/l) and climbed to €2.24/l on 28 September 2026.

The latest bulletin, of 5 October 2026, shows the year’s largest weekly fall for petrol: −4.6%, to €2.01/l. Diesel fell by 3.9%, to €2.15/l.

Every bulletin of 2026

The weeks that mattered

Fuel taxes changed in many countries

Several governments cut fuel taxes during the year, many of them for a few weeks at a time. The table lists changes confirmed in the official texts that we use for our tax breakdowns; it is a selection, not a full list. Excise duties are in national currency per 1,000 litres.

Data and method

Prices: the EU-27 averages weighted by the European Commission in the Weekly Oil Bulletin (European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy), file of 5 October 2026, licensed CC BY 4.0. Prices are rounded to two decimals; changes are calculated from the unrounded values. The context on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz comes from the International Energy Agency’s monthly Oil Market Reports; we do not attribute any single weekly change to a cause.

Prices in every EU country in the latest bulletin: our weekly EU report for 5 October 2026.