In March 2026, petrol and diesel prices increased across Europe, but Italy showed surprising resistance to the energy crisis caused by the war in the Middle East, including the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to oil flows towards the West. Our country is among the states that have recorded the lowest price increases at the distributor.
This is what emerges from Eurostat data and the findings of the EU Commission, which show a generalized growth in fuel costs, with very different variations between the various nations. Obviously prices also rise in Italy, but less than in other large European economies.
How much petrol rose in Europe in March
According to the data, in March fuel prices recorded a strong increase on an annual basis which translates into:
- +19.1% for diesel;
- +10.6% for petrol.
These are average increases calculated in the territory of the European Union, linked as we well know to the instability of oil prices and international tensions on the energy and geopolitical front. In this scenario, all countries record increases, but with different intensities.
For example, the greatest increases linked to greenery were found in Belgium (+15.1%), Sweden (+15%) and Austria (+14.8%).
The price of petrol in Italy
In the European panorama, Italy therefore shows a more limited upward trend than the average. In fact, the data indicates that at the distributor the cost of petrol has increased by approximately 5.5%, while diesel by +9.8%. Values significantly lower than the European average, which place the country mid-table among those with the lowest price increases. Only three nations did better than us:
- Slovenia (+2.4%)
- Slovakia (+3.8%)
- Hungary (+4.7%)
In our country the cost of fuel at the distributor was also kept low thanks to the cut in excise duties introduced by the Meloni government in March, until 7 April, and subsequently extended until 1 May. At the considerable cost of over half a billion euros. A measure which, however, is physiologically temporary and which the executive has yet to decide whether to extend further. Much of the decision will depend on the outcome of the negotiations between the United States and Iran, which, however, still suggest a stalemate.
How much does petrol cost in Italy compared to France and Germany
The comparison with the main European economies confirms this trend. If we restrict the comparison of the cost of petrol to the other two most important countries of the so-called European industrial triangle, namely Germany and France, Italy’s good performance in terms of energy costs stands out even more:
- Italy – approximately 1.77 euros per litre;
- France – approximately 1.97 euros per litre;
- Germany – over 2.07 euros per litre.
Although to a much lesser extent, Italian diesel prices at the pump also appear lower than those of the main Eurozone economies.
Where diesel costs the most in Europe, the ranking
The price of diesel, we have now sadly understood, is the one that suffers and will suffer the most substantial increases for a few more months. According to Eurostat data, the smallest increases among the 27 EU countries were recorded (as usual) in Slovenia (+2.9%) and Slovakia and Hungary, both at +7%. The peaks were instead reached in order in the following countries:
- Czech Republic and Sweden (+27.6%)
- Estonia (+26.8%)
- Latvia (+25.4%)
- Belgium (+25.2%)
- Netherlands (+25.1%)
