EU fuel prices rose nearly 17% in July, Eurostat says

Fuel and lubricant prices for personal transport across the European Union rose 16.9% in July 2026 compared with the same month a year earlier, Eurostat reported on Friday. The increase followed annual rises of 20.7% in May and 13.7% in June, indicating continued pressure on European motorists even as the pace of increases fluctuated month to month.brusselstimes+1

Wide Disparities Across Member States

Prices rose in 25 of the EU's 27 member states, with Romania recording the steepest annual increase at 24.2%, followed by Germany and Lithuania at 22.9% each. Bulgaria saw a 22.2% rise, while the Netherlands posted a 20.5% increase and Finland recorded 20.5%.islamtimes+1

At the other end of the spectrum, Sweden recorded the smallest increase at just 1.2%, and Ireland posted a 3.2% rise. Hungary was the only EU member state to register an annual decline, with fuel prices falling 0.1%.aa+1

Monthly Swings and Diesel Divergence

On a monthly basis, diesel prices rose 4.3% in July compared with June, while petrol prices climbed 4.7%. This marked a reversal from June, when diesel had fallen 6.4% and petrol had dropped 4.2% compared with the previous month.linkedin+3

Poland led the monthly increases for both fuel types, with diesel up 13.4% and petrol surging 17.2%. Germany recorded a 12.7% monthly diesel rise and Greece posted the EU's third-highest monthly diesel increase at 12.1%. Meanwhile, diesel prices declined in nine countries during July, with the sharpest falls in Cyprus at 7.9%, Sweden at 7.4%, and Ireland at 6.4%.x+2

Broader Pressure on European Transport

The sustained fuel price increases have added to inflationary pressures across the bloc, with annual increases in July exceeding those in June in 13 countries. The data underscores uneven energy cost burdens across Europe, with eastern and central European nations bearing steeper increases while Nordic and western economies have seen more moderate shifts. Germany's position among the hardest-hit countries is notable given its role as Europe's largest economy, where diesel prices rose from approximately €1.73 per liter in late June to €2.19 by late July.freightperspectives+1