BRUSSELS, Belgium / EuroWire.IO / – Bulgaria recorded the steepest rise in fuel prices in the European Union in September, as costs across the bloc climbed by 31.4% on a year earlier. Prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport in Bulgaria jumped by 42.2%. The EU-wide figure was published by Eurostat on October 21. It marked a further acceleration from 16.9% in July and 23.8% in August.
Estonia and Lithuania were the only other member states with annual increases above 40%, at 40.6% and 40.2%. A further 12 countries recorded rises of more than 30%. Within that group, increases ranged from 37.5% in Czechia to 30.3% in Portugal. In 26 EU countries, the annual rate in September was higher than in both July and August. The trend shows price pressure spreading across almost the whole bloc.
At the other end of the scale, Hungary reported the lowest annual increase at 6.9%. Ireland came next, well behind, at 17.7%. Sweden recorded a rise of 19.9%. Cyprus, where prices rose by 24.6%, also stayed below the EU average. The figures cover the fuels and lubricants that households buy for cars and other personal vehicles. They form part of the EU’s harmonised consumer price data.
Monthly diesel and petrol rises continue
Month-on-month, EU consumers paid 5.9% more for diesel in September than in August. Petrol prices rose by 6.7% over the same period. A month earlier, diesel had risen by 8.3% and petrol by 3.3% compared with July. The latest numbers mean petrol overtook diesel as the faster-rising fuel in September. The increases add to the road fuel costs already facing EU motorists this year. Eurostat compiled the figures from national consumer price data.
Diesel prices went up in 26 EU countries between August and September. The sharpest monthly increases were in Sweden at 12.8%, Latvia at 10.3% and Poland at 9.7%. Spain recorded the smallest rise at 2.4%. It was followed by Croatia at 2.5% and Romania at 3.0%. All other member states that saw increases recorded monthly rises above 3%. Differences in national taxes and market conditions shape how quickly price changes reach drivers at the pump.
Sweden and Poland lead petrol increases
Petrol prices also increased in 26 member states over the month. Sweden recorded the biggest jump of the month at 13.8%. Poland and Estonia followed with 9.7% and 9.5%. Cyprus had the smallest increase at 3.8%, ahead of Romania at 4.2% and Slovenia at 4.6%. Poland was among the top three countries for both diesel and petrol increases in September. So was Sweden, which led both lists.
The rise in fuel costs comes as energy prices weigh on consumers across Europe. Inflation in the euro area reached 3.3% in August, lifted by energy. The Bank of Italy expects oil to average $114 a barrel in the final quarter of 2026. Higher fuel prices affect household budgets as well as transport and logistics costs. Eurostat’s next monthly releases will show whether the increases continue. Fuel is one of the most visible items in household spending.