The average diesel price across the European Union reached a record €2.23 per litre, according to an AFP analysis of European Commission data published on September 24, 2026. The 27-country weighted average rose from €2.16 the previous week and was about 40 percent higher than it had been in late February.
Nineteen member states recorded new national highs in the weekly series, which extends back to 2005. Denmark and Finland reported the highest averages among those countries at €2.56 per litre, followed by Germany at €2.46. Belgium and France were close to €2.40, while Italy approached €2.30. Germany, France and Italy were among the large markets setting records.
The Commission’s weekly oil bulletin draws on figures submitted by national authorities. The data generally reflect service-station prices at the start of the reporting week or the end of the preceding one. The EU-wide result is weighted using each country’s 2024 fuel consumption, so it is not a simple average of 27 national figures.
Taxes are a substantial component of the price motorists see. Value-added tax and excise duties vary among member states and together account for about 40 percent of the bloc’s average diesel pump price. The published comparisons do not include targeted support such as relief offered to high-mileage drivers in France. Changes in tax policy therefore help explain why countries can experience different price levels even when they face the same international energy market.
The increase followed disruptions to crude supplies and refinery operations linked to wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. The AFP analysis cited the Strait of Hormuz blockade, a Houthi blockade affecting Saudi exports through the Red Sea and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries among pressures on supply. Nine of the 19 countries setting records had already established their previous highs during August or September 2026, showing how quickly the latest increases followed earlier peaks.
Not every member state exceeded its historical maximum. Spain and Sweden recorded increases but remained below levels reached after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Both had significantly reduced diesel excise duties since late February, according to the Bruegel think tank. Greece, Estonia and Slovakia also retained their 2022 records.
European governments have introduced some temporary fuel-tax measures similar to policies used during the 2022 energy crisis. Bruegel researcher Alexander Roth said the fiscal response remained substantially smaller, describing the latest shock as more gradual and noting that some governments have less budget capacity.
For comparison, the report put the record EU average at the equivalent of $9.63 per US gallon. It said US diesel had risen more than 70 percent since late February to about $6.50 per gallon. Those conversions underline different market and tax structures, while the EU series itself shows that the current pressure has moved well beyond a handful of countries.
