-- Fuel prices in the European Union jumped 12.9% over the year in March 2026, reversing earlier declines and marking a sharp shift in energy cost trends, according to Eurostat data released Tuesday.
Up to February 2026, fuel and lubricant prices for personal transport had generally been declining across the European Union, but the trend reversed with a notable surge in March, Eurostat said.
Almost all EU countries recorded annual increases in March, contributing to the bloc-wide 12.9% rise, led by Germany at 19.8%, Romania at 19.6%, the Netherlands at 18.8%, Latvia at 18.5%, and Austria at 17.2%, according to Eurostat.
In contrast, Hungary and Slovenia posted declines of 2.7% and 5.9%, respectively, although their decreases were less pronounced when compared with February 2026 levels, Eurostat added.
Diesel prices rose 19.8% over the year in March, while petrol increased 9.4%, highlighting stronger upward pressure on diesel markets across the EU, the data showed.
On a monthly basis, diesel prices climbed 19.1% and petrol rose 10.6% in March compared with February, reflecting broad-based increases across all member states, Eurostat said.
Diesel prices saw the sharpest monthly gains in Czechia and Sweden at 27.6% each, followed by Estonia at 26.8%, Latvia at 25.4%, Belgium at 25.2%, and the Netherlands at 25.1%.
The smallest diesel increases were recorded in Slovenia at 2.9%, and Slovakia and Hungary at 7.0% each, though all other countries reported rises exceeding 10%, Eurostat noted.
Petrol price increases were more moderate, peaking at 15.1% in Belgium, 15.0% in Sweden, 14.8% in Austria, 14.6% in Czechia, and 14.2% in Estonia and Lithuania, Eurostat said.
The lowest monthly gains were recorded in Slovenia at 2.4%, Slovakia at 3.8%, Hungary at 4.7%, and Italy at 4.8%, according to Eurostat.