Eurostat: Bulgaria had EU’s highest annual increase in fuel prices in September 2026
Bulgaria had the highest annual increase in fuel prices in the European Union in September 2026, at 42.2 per cent, EU statistics agency Eurostat said on October 21.
Previously, Bulgaria had the highest increase in fuel prices in the EU on an annual basis in June 2026, the third-highest in the EU in July 2026 and the highest increase in the bloc in August 2026.
In September 2026, compared with September 2025, three EU countries recorded price increases higher than 40 per cent: Bulgaria (42.2 per cent), Estonia (40.6 per cent) and Lithuania (40.2 per cent).
A further 12 EU countries registered increases higher than 30 per cent, ranging from 37.5 per cent in Czechia and 30.3 per cent in Portugal.
The lowest price increase was recorded in Hungary (6.9 per cent), followed at a distance by Ireland (17.7 per cent) and Sweden (19.9 per cent).
In September 2026, the price of fuels and lubricants for personal transport in the EU increased by 31.4 per cent compared with September 2025. This followed the year-on-year increases of 16.9 per cent in July and 23.8 per cent in August, Eurostat said.
On a monthly basis, in September 2026, EU consumers saw diesel prices increase by 5.9 per cent and petrol by 6.7 per cent, compared with the previous month. In August 2026, diesel prices increased by 8.3 per cent, and petrol by 3.3 per cent relative to July 2026.
Between August and September 2026, diesel prices increased in 26 EU countries. The highest increases were registered in Sweden (12.8 per cent), Latvia (10.3 per cent) and Poland (9.7 per cent). The lowest increases were in Spain (2.4 per cent), Croatia (2.5 per cent) and Romania (3.0 per cent).
When it comes to petrol prices, 26 countries also recorded increases in prices between August and September 2026. The largest increases were in Sweden (13.8 per cent), Poland (9.7 per cent) and Estonia (9.5 per cent), while the smallest were in Cyprus (3.8 per cent), Romania (4.2 per cent) and Slovenia (4.6 per cent), Eurostat said.
According to the fuelo.net website, on February 27 – the eve of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran – a litre of A95 petrol cost an average 1.26 euro in Bulgaria. As of October 21, the average price is 1.65 euro. On February 27, the average price of a litre of diesel was 1.29 euro. As of October 21, it is 1.91 euro.
(Photo: Hippopx)
