Press · Data story
Diesel vs petrol: the price gap in the EU since 2005
On average in the EU, a litre of diesel costs €0.134 more than a litre of petrol (€2.226 against €2.092, prices of 21 Sep 2026). Before taxes the gap is wider, +€0.254. Below: every EU country, the gap since 2005, sentences ready to quote and the data. The page updates with every new EU Weekly Oil Bulletin.
Key numbers · Bulletin of 21 Sep 2026
- +€0.134/LDiesel minus petrol, EU averageDiesel €2.226 vs petrol €2.092 per litreIn the EU, a litre of diesel costs on average €0.134 more than a litre of petrol: €2.226 against €2.092 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, weighted EU-27 average, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
- +€0.246/LWidest gap since 2005: 13 Apr 2026Before 2026, the widest was +€0.178 (24 Oct 2022)The gap between diesel and petrol prices in the EU reached +€0.246 per litre on 13 April 2026, the widest since the weekly series began in 2005; before 2026, the widest was +€0.178, on 24 October 2022 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, weighted EU-27 average, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
- 24 of 27EU countries where diesel costs more than petrolPetrol costs more in Malta, Denmark and SpainDiesel costs more than petrol in 24 of the 27 EU countries; petrol is dearer only in Malta, Denmark and Spain (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
- +€0.254/LDiesel minus petrol before taxes, EURecord +€0.316 on 13 Apr 2026 · at the pump: +€0.134Before taxes, a litre of diesel costs €0.254 more than a litre of petrol in the EU; taxes are €0.120 per litre lower on diesel on average, which narrows the gap to €0.134 at the pump (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, weighted EU-27 average of prices without taxes, 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Source: EU Weekly Oil Bulletin (European Commission), prices of 21 Sep 2026 · EU = weighted EU-27 average · € per litre, with all taxes unless stated
The numbers
Petrol, diesel and the difference in every EU country
National average pump prices with all taxes, in € per litre, from the EU Weekly Oil Bulletin. A positive difference means diesel costs more. Click a column heading to sort.
| EU average (weighted) | €2.092 | €2.226 | +€0.134 | +€6.70 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden temporary tax cuts | €1.579 | €2.090 | +€0.511 | +€25.55 |
| Belgium | €1.988 | €2.387 | +€0.399 | +€19.95 |
| Austria | €1.925 | €2.238 | +€0.313 | +€15.65 |
| Lithuania | €1.950 | €2.258 | +€0.308 | +€15.40 |
| Cyprus | €1.677 | €1.948 | +€0.271 | +€13.55 |
| Slovenia | €1.706 | €1.975 | +€0.269 | +€13.45 |
| Luxembourg | €1.849 | €2.114 | +€0.265 | +€13.25 |
| Bulgaria | €1.663 | €1.916 | +€0.253 | +€12.65 |
| Poland | €1.820 | €2.039 | +€0.219 | +€10.95 |
| Hungary | €1.752 | €1.957 | +€0.205 | +€10.25 |
| Romania | €1.891 | €2.093 | +€0.202 | +€10.10 |
| Estonia | €1.917 | €2.113 | +€0.196 | +€9.80 |
| Finland | €2.364 | €2.555 | +€0.191 | +€9.55 |
| Czechia | €1.884 | €2.071 | +€0.187 | +€9.35 |
| Croatia | €1.796 | €1.975 | +€0.179 | +€8.95 |
| Latvia | €1.997 | €2.169 | +€0.172 | +€8.60 |
| France | €2.219 | €2.383 | +€0.164 | +€8.20 |
| Italy | €2.141 | €2.281 | +€0.140 | +€7.00 |
| Netherlands | €2.449 | €2.579 | +€0.130 | +€6.50 |
| Germany | €2.348 | €2.457 | +€0.109 | +€5.45 |
| Ireland | €1.945 | €2.050 | +€0.105 | +€5.25 |
| Portugal | €2.107 | €2.210 | +€0.103 | +€5.15 |
| Slovakia | €1.853 | €1.950 | +€0.097 | +€4.85 |
| Greece | €2.197 | €2.224 | +€0.027 | +€1.35 |
| Spain | €1.928 | €1.918 | −€0.010 | −€0.50 |
| Denmark petrol: minus average discounts | €2.618 | €2.555 | −€0.063 | −€3.15 |
| Malta state-fixed price | €1.340 | €1.210 | −€0.130 | −€6.50 |
- EU average: the Commission’s weighted EU-27 average. Countries: national average pump prices, all taxes included, as reported to the European Commission. Differences are calculated from the prices shown.
Chart
Two views of the same bulletin data
Since 2005
By country
Ready-to-quote sentences
Copy a sentence: figure, currency, date and source included
Each sentence names the fuel, the currency, the date and the source. Copy it as it is, or take the figures.
EU average
In the EU, a litre of diesel costs on average €0.134 more than a litre of petrol: €2.226 against €2.092 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, weighted EU-27 average, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Filling a 50-litre tank with diesel costs €6.70 more than with petrol at EU average prices (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, weighted EU-27 average, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Before taxes, a litre of diesel costs €0.254 more than a litre of petrol in the EU; taxes are €0.120 per litre lower on diesel on average, which narrows the gap to €0.134 at the pump (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, weighted EU-27 average of prices without taxes, 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Diesel has cost more than petrol on EU average in every weekly bulletin since 20 July 2026 (10 weeks in a row) (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, weighted EU-27 average, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Records since 2005
The gap between diesel and petrol prices in the EU reached +€0.246 per litre on 13 April 2026, the widest since the weekly series began in 2005; before 2026, the widest was +€0.178, on 24 October 2022 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, weighted EU-27 average, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
The opposite record: on 3 August 2015, diesel cost €0.230 per litre less than petrol on EU average, the lowest gap since 2005 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, weighted EU-27 average, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Countries
Diesel costs more than petrol in 24 of the 27 EU countries; petrol is dearer only in Malta, Denmark and Spain (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu). In Malta, pump prices are fixed by the government. Denmark’s petrol figure is consumer prices minus the previous quarter’s average discounts, which lowers it.
The widest gap between diesel and petrol is in Sweden (+€0.511 per litre), followed by Belgium (+€0.399) and Austria (+€0.313) (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu). Sweden temporarily cut its fuel taxes in 2026: the energy tax until 30 September and the CO₂ tax until 30 November (Skatteverket).
Your country
Austria
In Austria, a litre of diesel costs €0.313 more than a litre of petrol: €2.238 against €1.925 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Belgium
In Belgium, a litre of diesel costs €0.399 more than a litre of petrol: €2.387 against €1.988 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, a litre of diesel costs €0.253 more than a litre of petrol: €1.916 against €1.663 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Croatia
In Croatia, a litre of diesel costs €0.179 more than a litre of petrol: €1.975 against €1.796 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Cyprus
In Cyprus, a litre of diesel costs €0.271 more than a litre of petrol: €1.948 against €1.677 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Czechia
In Czechia, a litre of diesel costs €0.187 more than a litre of petrol: €2.071 against €1.884 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu). Czechia does not use the euro: the Commission converts its prices at each week’s exchange rate.
Denmark
In Denmark, a litre of diesel costs €0.063 less than a litre of petrol: €2.555 against €2.618 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu). Denmark’s petrol figure is consumer prices minus the previous quarter’s average discounts, which lowers it. Denmark does not use the euro: the Commission converts its prices at each week’s exchange rate.
Estonia
In Estonia, a litre of diesel costs €0.196 more than a litre of petrol: €2.113 against €1.917 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Finland
In Finland, a litre of diesel costs €0.191 more than a litre of petrol: €2.555 against €2.364 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
France
In France, a litre of diesel costs €0.164 more than a litre of petrol: €2.383 against €2.219 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Greece
In Greece, a litre of diesel costs €0.027 more than a litre of petrol: €2.224 against €2.197 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Hungary
In Hungary, a litre of diesel costs €0.205 more than a litre of petrol: €1.957 against €1.752 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu). Hungary does not use the euro: the Commission converts its prices at each week’s exchange rate.
Ireland
In Ireland, a litre of diesel costs €0.105 more than a litre of petrol: €2.050 against €1.945 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Italy
In Italy, a litre of diesel costs €0.140 more than a litre of petrol: €2.281 against €2.141 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Latvia
In Latvia, a litre of diesel costs €0.172 more than a litre of petrol: €2.169 against €1.997 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Lithuania
In Lithuania, a litre of diesel costs €0.308 more than a litre of petrol: €2.258 against €1.950 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, a litre of diesel costs €0.265 more than a litre of petrol: €2.114 against €1.849 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Malta
In Malta, a litre of diesel costs €0.130 less than a litre of petrol: €1.210 against €1.340 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu). In Malta, pump prices are fixed by the government.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, a litre of diesel costs €0.130 more than a litre of petrol: €2.579 against €2.449 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Poland
In Poland, a litre of diesel costs €0.219 more than a litre of petrol: €2.039 against €1.820 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu). Poland does not use the euro: the Commission converts its prices at each week’s exchange rate.
Portugal
In Portugal, a litre of diesel costs €0.103 more than a litre of petrol: €2.210 against €2.107 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Romania
In Romania, a litre of diesel costs €0.202 more than a litre of petrol: €2.093 against €1.891 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu). Romania does not use the euro: the Commission converts its prices at each week’s exchange rate.
Slovakia
In Slovakia, a litre of diesel costs €0.097 more than a litre of petrol: €1.950 against €1.853 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Slovenia
In Slovenia, a litre of diesel costs €0.269 more than a litre of petrol: €1.975 against €1.706 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Spain
In Spain, a litre of diesel costs €0.010 less than a litre of petrol: €1.918 against €1.928 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu).
Sweden
In Sweden, a litre of diesel costs €0.511 more than a litre of petrol: €2.090 against €1.579 (EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, prices of 21 September 2026, via fuel-prices.eu). Sweden temporarily cut its fuel taxes in 2026: the energy tax until 30 September and the CO₂ tax until 30 November (Skatteverket). Sweden does not use the euro: the Commission converts its prices at each week’s exchange rate.
Download
The table as CSV, the chart as PNG
- Table: Diesel and petrol by country, 21 Sep 202628 rows · comma-separated, UTF-8 · source and licence in the last linesCSV
- Chart: Diesel minus petrol, EU, weekly since 2005PNG, 1720 × 964 px, in the colours on your screen (use the light/dark switch at the top to change them) · source written in the image
- Chart: Diesel minus petrol by countryPNG, 1720 × 1488 px, in the colours on your screen (use the light/dark switch at the top to change them) · source written in the image
Downloads contain exactly the figures on this page, with their dates and sources.
Methodology & caveats
Sources, definitions and what the numbers do not say
- Prices. National average pump prices of Euro-super 95 petrol and diesel, with all taxes, as reported by each country to the European Commission for the EU Weekly Oil Bulletin.
- EU average. The Commission’s weighted EU-27 average (weighted by each country’s fuel consumption), for diesel and for petrol. The gap is diesel minus petrol: positive when diesel costs more.
- Before taxes. The same bulletin publishes prices net of duties and taxes (excise, VAT and other levies removed); the before-tax gap uses the Commission’s weighted EU-27 averages of those prices. The difference between the two gaps is the tax difference between the fuels.
- Calculations. Country differences are calculated from the prices shown (3 decimals). Records use the Commission’s EU averages as published (€ per 1,000 litres), since the first bulletin of 2005.
- Coverage. The count of countries covers all 27; the chart by country, the largest gaps and the sentences per country cover 26 EU countries. The EU average is the Commission’s figure for all 27.
- Labels. Malta: pump prices are fixed by the government. Denmark (petrol): consumer prices minus the previous quarter’s average discounts, which lowers the petrol figure and so the gap. Sweden: temporary fuel tax cuts in 2026 (energy tax until 30 September, CO₂ tax until 30 November, Skatteverket).
- Currencies. Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden do not use the euro; the Commission converts their prices at each week’s exchange rate. The gap within a country is not affected by the rate in a given week.
- What the numbers do not say. They show the gap, not its causes: refining, wholesale markets and taxes all play a part, and the bulletin does not separate them beyond taxes. They are national averages, not the price at a particular station, and they are not a forecast.
- Updates. The page updates automatically when a new bulletin is published, usually on Thursday with the prices of that Monday. Data date on this page: 21 September 2026.
How to cite
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Credit line for articles, charts and broadcasts:
Source: fuel-prices.eu, EU Weekly Oil Bulletin (European Commission)
Online, please link the name:
Data: <a href="https://www.fuel-prices.eu/press/diesel-vs-petrol/">fuel-prices.eu</a>, <a href="https://www.fuel-prices.eu/press/#cite">CC BY 4.0</a>
Full reference, for reports and papers:
fuel-prices.eu (2026). Diesel vs petrol: the price gap in the EU since 2005. https://www.fuel-prices.eu/press/diesel-vs-petrol/ (data: EU Weekly Oil Bulletin (European Commission), prices of 21 Sep 2026; retrieved 27 September 2026).
Licence. Our tables, averages and charts are published under CC BY 4.0: you may reuse them, also commercially, if you credit fuel-prices.eu with a link. The underlying source data keep their own licences, listed on the press page.
Questions, or need the data in another format? Write to hi@fuel-prices.eu or use the press contact form.
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