Fuel prices rose by 12.9% on average across the European Union in March

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 (%)