Bulgaria has seen the steepest rise in fuel prices across the European Union, with a 42.2% increase in costs for fuels and lubricants used in personal transport as of September 2026 compared to the same period the previous year. This sharp rise highlights the growing financial pressure on Bulgarian consumers amid a backdrop of escalating energy costs across the continent.
Following Bulgaria, Estonia reported a significant annual increase of 40.6%, while Lithuania experienced a rise of 40.2%. In contrast, Hungary recorded the smallest increase at 6.9%, with Ireland and Sweden reporting 17.7% and 19.9% increases, respectively.
Overall, the European Union saw fuel prices increase by 31.4% year-on-year in September, marking an acceleration from previous months—16.9% in July and 23.8% in August. On a month-to-month basis, the price of diesel rose by 5.9% and petrol by 6.7% across the EU from August to September. Sweden notably led in monthly increases, with diesel prices surging by 12.8% and petrol by 13.8%.
In Bulgaria, fuel prices have been on a sharp upward trajectory since early 2026. Specifically, the average price of A95 petrol climbed from €1.26 per litre on February 27 to €1.65 by October 21. Similarly, diesel prices increased from €1.29 to €1.91 per litre over the same period.