Gasoline prices in Germany approach all-time high
Gasoline prices in Germany are nearing record highs amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
According to data from the German Automobile Club (ADAC), the price of premium E10 gasoline reached an average daily nationwide level of 2.165 euros per liter on Saturday, just a few cents below the all-time high of 2.203 euros per liter recorded in March 2022.
The average price of diesel stood at 2.260 euros per liter on Saturday, according to the German Automobile Club. The club noted that the gap between the current price and the highest diesel price recorded last April remains significantly larger, at approximately 20 cents. Compared to Friday, fuel prices remained largely stable with no significant changes.
Fuel prices in Germany have risen over the past days and weeks, particularly diesel. In its forecast, the German Automobile Club stated: “Based on current data, 2026 is on track to become the most expensive year ever for refueling, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.”
On one hand, pressure on prices stems from the ongoing war against Iran, which has recently driven up crude oil prices in global markets. Additionally, the effects of low water levels in the Rhine River have impacted fuel stations, increasing transportation costs. E10 gasoline is the cheapest common type of fuel in Germany, typically costing about 5 to 6 cents less than Super E5, which contains a lower proportion of biofuel.
Persistently high fuel prices have regularly sparked calls to ease the burden on drivers. From the beginning of May until the end of June last year, the German government implemented a reduction in fuel taxes to curb rising prices. After the tax cut expired, fuel station prices resumed their upward trend.
Recently, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, along with five of his European counterparts, initiated a new move to impose a tax on the windfall profits of oil companies. In a letter to the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the ministers called for the implementation of this tax at the European level, targeting oil companies’ profits that surged significantly due to the war against Iran.
