The prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport in the European Union increased by 20.7% in May 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, following a 20.8% rise in April and a 12.9% increase in March, according to data published on Monday by Eurostat.
On an annual basis, in May 2026, fuel and lubricant prices rose in all EU countries, with price increases exceeding 30% in four member states: Bulgaria (33.9%), Luxembourg (32.2%), Lithuania (30.8%), and Romania (30.4%).
The smallest annual price increase was recorded in Hungary (3.5%), while in other countries, price increases ranged from 12.7% in Poland to 29.2% in France.
Regarding fuel categories, diesel prices in the EU increased by 29% in May 2026 compared to May 2025, while gasoline prices rose by 16.2%. This comes after diesel prices rose by 33.7% annually in April 2026, and gasoline prices increased by 13.6%.
Nevertheless, from one month to another, diesel prices in the EU decreased by 5.8%, while gasoline prices increased by only 0.8%.
In May 2026 compared to the previous month, diesel prices increased only in Romania (1.6%) and decreased in the rest of the EU countries. The largest decreases were recorded in Germany (minus 11.9%), Greece (minus 8.5%), Estonia (minus 8.4%), and Ireland (minus 8.1%), while the smallest decreases were noted in Bulgaria (minus 0.7%), Hungary (minus 0.9%), and Cyprus (minus 1.5%).
For gasoline, prices rose in 23 EU countries between April and May 2026, with increases ranging from a 0.1% rise in Croatia and Hungary to a 6.9% increase in Italy. In Romania, gasoline prices saw a 6.2% increase month-over-month. On the other hand, in three EU member countries, gasoline prices decreased in May compared to the previous month: Germany (minus 5.6%), Ireland (minus 2.0%), and Sweden (minus 0.7%).