The impact of the Iran conflict on European fuel prices was significant, new data from Eurostat has revealed, with fuel prices rising by 12.9%, on average, in March 2026 compared with March 2025.
Prior to this price spike, fuel prices had been generally falling across the bloc, however March marked a notable turnaround, with almost all EU member states reporting higher prices for the month.
Diesel prices in the EU rose by 19.8% in March 2026 compared with March 2025, while petrol prices rose by 9.4% over the same period. On a month-on-month basis, compared with February 2026, diesel prices increased by 19.1% and petrol prices increased by 10.6%.
In terms of the countries that saw the biggest increase in fuel prices, Germany led the way at 19.8%, followed by Romania (+19.6%), the Netherlands (+18.8%), Latvia (+18.5%), and Austria (+17.2%).
Two countries recorded annual decreases, Hungary (-2.7%) and Slovenia (-5.9%); however, compared with February 2026, the decrease was not as pronounced.
Diesel and petrol
Looking at diesel specifically, the largest monthly increases were in Czechia and Sweden (both +27.6%), followed by Estonia (+26.8%), Latvia (+25.4%), Belgium (+25.2%), and the Netherlands (+25.1%).
The smallest increases were in Slovenia (+2.9%), Slovakia (+7.0%), and Hungary (+7.0%).
In terms of petrol, meanwhile, increases were also recorded in all EU countries between February and March 2026. The highest monthly increases were in Belgium (+15.1%), Sweden (+15.0%), Austria (+14.8%), Czechia (+14.6%), and Estonia and Lithuania (+14.2%). The lowest increases were in Slovenia (+2.4%), Slovakia (+3.8%), Hungary (+4.7%), and Italy (+4.8%). Read more here.
Month-on-Month Fuel Price Increases by EU Member State – March 2026 (%)
| Country | Diesel (%) | Petrol (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 25.2 | 15.1 |
| Bulgaria | 16.9 | 9.9 |
| Czechia | 27.6 | 14.6 |
| Denmark | 21.3 | 10.5 |
| Germany | 22.6 | 13.5 |
| Estonia | 26.8 | 14.2 |
| Ireland | 18.0 | 7.8 |
| Greece | 24.1 | 11.4 |
| Spain | 20.1 | 8.1 |
| France | 21.3 | 10.7 |
| Croatia | 13.7 | 7.1 |
| Italy | 11.9 | 4.8 |
| Cyprus | 12.9 | 7.9 |
| Latvia | 25.4 | 11.3 |
| Lithuania | 22.3 | 14.2 |
| Luxembourg | 22.2 | 10.7 |
| Hungary | 7.0 | 4.7 |
| Malta | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Netherlands | 25.1 | 10.3 |
| Austria | 23.8 | 14.8 |
| Poland | 21.4 | 12.9 |
| Portugal | 17.4 | 8.1 |
| Romania | 15.0 | 11.1 |
| Slovenia | 2.9 | 2.4 |
| Slovakia | 7.0 | 3.8 |
| Finland | 16.9 | 10.0 |
| Sweden | 27.6 | 15.0 |
