Raw: [Fuel taxes continue to be a central policy consideration for European countries amid geopolitical conflicts, increased emphasis on environmental policy, and economic conditions experienced by average consumers.]
Skip to content
U.S.
Europe
EN
Subscribe
Donate
Research
Featured Research
European Tax Policy ScorecardInternational Tax Competitiveness IndexSpanish Regional Tax Competitiveness IndexHow the UK Increased InvestmentVAT Expansion and Labor Tax CutsGlobal Excise Tax Application and TrendsMarginal Tax Rates and Economic Opportunity
Featured Issues
“Fiscal Fairness”The Green TransitionCost RecoveryGlobal Tax DealDigital Taxation
All European Research
Latest Research
A Distributed Profits Tax in Poland29 min read
ExpertsData
Featured Data
Top Personal Income Tax Rates in EuropeVAT Rates in EuropeCorporate Income Tax Rates in EuropeCarbon Taxes in EuropeCapital Gains Tax Rates in EuropeReal Property Taxes in EuropeEstate, Inheritance, and Gift Taxes in Europe
Featured Issues
Taxing High IncomesTax Burden on LaborCorporate Tax Rates around the WorldEuropean Tax Maps
All European Data
Latest Data
Capital Allowances in Europe, 20256 min read
Blog & Commentary
Tax Foundation Europe BlogSee All TestimonySee All Op-edsThe Deduction PodcastMeet Our Experts
Latest Blog Post
Are Tobacco Taxes Still a Reliable Source of Revenue?6 min read
Latest Testimony
Tax Foundation Response to UN Request for Public Input on a Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation
Latest Op-ed
As Trump’s “Liberation Day” of Global Tariffs Nears, Europe Is in a Tight Spot
Education
TaxEDU Europe
Tax Terms GlossaryPrimersExplainer Videos
Our Principles
Featured Resources
Video: A Carbon Tax, ExplainedPrimer: The Weird Way Taxes Impact BehaviorGlossary: Super-DeductionGlossary: Value-Added Tax (VAT)
Featured Term
Emissions Trading System (ETS)
EventsAbout
About UsContact UsOur Principles
Staff
Meet Our ExpertsMeet Our BoardAcademic Advisory Committee
Careers
Job OpeningsInternship
Start typing to search…
Home • Data • European Taxes • Diesel and Gas Taxes in Europe, 2025
See previous versions of this postDiesel and Gas Taxes in Europe, 2025August 12, 2025August 11, 20255 min readBy: Adam Hoffer, Jacob Macumber-Rosin
Print
Fuel taxes continue to be a central policy consideration for European countries amid geopolitical conflicts, increased emphasis on environmental policy, and economic conditions experienced by average consumers. The European Union requires Member States to levy a minimum excise duty of €0.359 per liter ($1.60 per gallon) on petrol (gasoline).
The market for diesel vehicles in the EU has been steadily declining, but they still account for almost 10 percent of new car registrations. Some European consumers, then, face excise duties on diesel instead of gas. The minimum excise duty required by the EU is slightly less for diesel at €0.330 per liter ($1.47 per gallon).
Only Malta sticks to the minimum taxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. on gasoline, while all other EU countries levy higher excise duties. At the €0.359 per liter minimum, Malta has the lowest gas taxA gas tax is commonly used to describe the variety of taxes levied on gasoline at both the federal and state levels, to provide funds for highway repair and maintenance, as well as for other government infrastructure projects. These taxes are levied in a few ways, including per-gallon excise taxes, excise taxes imposed on wholesalers, and general sales taxes that apply to the purchase of gasoline., followed by Bulgaria at €0.363 per liter ($1.62 per gallon) and Hungary at €0.399 per liter ($1.78 per gallon).
The Netherlands has the highest gas tax in the EU at €0.789 per liter ($3.53 per gallon), followed by Italy at €0.713 per liter ($3.19 per gallon) and Denmark at €0.711 per liter ($3.18 per gallon).
2025 Data
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Expand or Collapse Table
2025 Fuel Taxes in EuropeExcise Duty per Liter (0.26 Gallons) of Unleaded Petroleum and Gas Oil Propellant in European Union (EU) Member States and the United Kingdom, July 2025
Gas Tax Per Liter in EURGas Tax Per Gallon in USDGas Tax RankDiesel Tax Per Liter in EURDiesel Tax Per Gallon in USDDiesel Tax RankAdditional VAT Rate
Austria (AT) € 0.482 $2.1522€ 0.397$1.772020%
Belgium (BE) € 0.600 $2.6811€ 0.600$2.68321%
Bulgaria (BG) € 0.363 $1.6227€ 0.330$1.482720%
Croatia (HR) € 0.512 $2.2918€ 0.406$1.811825%
Cyprus (CY) € 0.429 $1.9223€ 0.400$1.791919%
Czech Republic (CZ) € 0.508 $2.2720€ 0.394$1.762121%
Denmark (DK) € 0.711 $3.183€ 0.564$2.52625%
Estonia (EE) € 0.591 $2.6413€ 0.428$1.911622%
Finland (FI) € 0.685 $3.066€ 0.504$2.251126%
France (FR) € 0.683 $3.057€ 0.594$2.65520%
Germany (DE) € 0.655 $2.928€ 0.470$2.101219%
Greece (GR) € 0.700 $3.134€ 0.410$1.831724%
Hungary (HU)** € 0.399 $1.7826€ 0.374$1.672427%
Ireland (IE) € 0.689 $3.085€ 0.596$2.66423%
Italy (IT) € 0.713 $3.192€ 0.632$2.83122%
Latvia (LV) € 0.532 $2.3815€ 0.441$1.971521%
Lithuania (LT) € 0.513 $2.2917€ 0.520$2.32821%
Luxembourg (LU) € 0.559 $2.5014€ 0.453$2.021417%
Malta (MT) € 0.359 $1.6028€ 0.330$1.472818%
Netherlands (NL) € 0.789 $3.531€ 0.516$2.31921%
Poland (PL) € 0.423 $1.8925€ 0.391$1.752223%
Portugal (PT) € 0.634 $2.839€ 0.504$2.251023%
Romania (RO) € 0.508 $2.2719€ 0.466$2.081319%
Slovakia (SK) € 0.514 $2.3016€ 0.368$1.642523%
Slovenia (SI) € 0.597 $2.6712€ 0.545$2.44722%
Spain (ES) € 0.504 $2.2521€ 0.379$1.692321%
Sweden (SE) € 0.423 $1.8924€ 0.350$1.562625%
United Kingdom (GB) € 0.616 $2.7510€ 0.616$2.75220%
Average € 0.558$2.50€ 0.458$2.05
Minimum Rate € 0.359$1.60€ 0.330$1.47
Notes: The excise duties apply to petroleum and diesel with a sulphur content of less than 10 mg/kg, RON 95 (gas), bioethanol content, and, if applicable, include carbon taxes and surcharges. The excise duties were converted into USD using the average July 2025 USD-EUR exchange rate (0.8471). **Hungary’s excise duty increases to EUR 0.412 per liter for gas and EUR 0.400 per liter for diesel if the world market price of crude oil is at or below 50 USD/barrel.
Source: European Commission, “Taxes in Europe Database,” https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/tedb/splSearchForm.html; and HM Revenue and Customs, “Excise Duty hydrocarbon oils rates,” https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-excise-duty-hydrocarbon-oils/excise-duty-hydrocarbon-oils-rates.
Data compiled by Adam Hoffer and Jacob Macumber-Rosin
Data compiled by Jacob Macumber-Rosin and Adam Hoffer
See Prior Analysis
Data compiled by Adam Hoffer
See Prior Analysis
Data compiled by Adam Hoffer
See Prior Analysis
Data compiled by Thomas Locher
See Prior Analysis
Data compiled by A. Kristina Zvinys
See Prior Analysis
Data compiled by Elke Asen
See Prior Analysis
Changes from 2024
Lithuania increased the tax on gasoline by €0.05 per liter and the tax on diesel by €0.11 per liter.
Denmark increased the tax on diesel by €0.089 per liter.
Ireland increased the tax on gasoline by €0.08 per liter and the tax on diesel by €0.07 per liter.
Slovenia increased the tax on gasoline by €0.07 per liter.
Sweden reduced the tax on gasoline by €0.07 per liter.
Portugal increased the tax on gasoline and the tax on diesel by €0.06 per liter.
Croatia increased the tax on gasoline by €0.056 per liter.
Slovenia increased the tax on diesel by €0.05 per liter.
The taxes in many other countries changed by less than €0.05 per liter, either by legislation or by changes in currency conversions.
Most EU countries levy a lower excise duty on diesel than on gas. Belgium and the United Kingdom, which is no longer a member of the EU, levy the same rate on the two fuels. The average excise duty on gasoline across the EU is €0.558 per liter ($2.50 per gallon), while the average excise duty on diesel is €0.458 per liter ($2.05 per gallon).
Italy levies the highest excise duty on diesel at €0.632 per liter ($2.83 per gallon), followed by the United Kingdom at €0.616 per liter ($2.75 per gallon) and Belgium at €0.600 per liter ($2.68 per gallon).
The lowest excise duties are levied by Bulgaria and Malta at the EU minimum of €0.330 per liter ($1.47 per gallon), then by Sweden at €0.350 per liter ($1.56 per gallon).
These figures include environmental taxes levied on fuel in the reported excise duty, where those taxes are applied with an ad quantum per unit rate. At least seven EU Member States levy a carbon, energy, or other environmental tax included in their total excise duty.
To compare across the Atlantic, the EU minimum excise duty on gasoline ($1.60 per gallon) is greater than the highest gas tax in the US, which is approximately $1.255 per gallon in California (combining federal and state taxes, including environmental burdens).
All EU Member States also levy an additional value-added tax (VAT) on the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel. The excise duties from the data are levied before the VAT is applied. These taxes combine to create a relatively high burden on consumers and European economies.
Taxes on gasoline and diesel continue to be prominent policy issues throughout Europe. As the EU enacts sweeping changes for its green transition to become climate neutral by 2050, fuel taxes are likely to remain a crucial aspect of policy discussions.
Stay informed on the tax policies impacting you.Subscribe to get insights from our trusted experts delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe
Share this article
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
Email
Previous Versions
DataEuropeAugust 13, 2024August 26, 2024
Diesel and Gas Taxes in Europe, 20243 min read
DataEuropeJuly 11, 2023August 29, 2024
Diesel and Gas Taxes in Europe, 20235 min read
DataEuropeJuly 12, 2022September 24, 2024
Gas Taxes in Europe, 20225 min read
DataEuropeAugust 12, 2021August 9, 2024
Gas Taxes in Europe, 20215 min read
DataEuropeJuly 9, 2020August 9, 2024
Gas Taxes in Europe, 20204 min read
DataEuropeAugust 15, 2019August 9, 2024
Gas Taxes in Europe, 20194 min read
All Related Articles
BlogEuropeFebruary 20, 2025February 21, 2025
Reducing Germany’s Corporate Tax Rate to 25 PercentAhead of Germany’s federal election, the country’s economy remains stuck in a prolonged recession, with GDP stagnating for the past two years and failing to surpass its pre-pandemic level.
6 min read
BlogEuropeFebruary 3, 2025
The EU’s Questionable VAT PolicyIn a recent survey regarding companies’ barriers to conducting business in the EU single market, VAT ranked first. Policymakers should invest in reforming VAT systems to close both compliance and policy gaps in ways that improve the overall efficiency of their tax systems.
7 min read
BlogEuropeNovember 8, 2024
Spain’s Poorly Designed Tax Policy Hurts Its CompetitivenessSpain’s central government could learn some valuable lessons from its regional governments and other European countries about sound tax policy.
7 min read
TopicsBusiness TaxesDataEnvironmental, Energy, and Transportation TaxesEuropean Union (EU)Excise TaxesIndividual and Consumption TaxesOil and Gas Taxes
TagsTags:Malta
LocationsLocations:AustriaBelgiumCzech RepublicDenmarkEstoniaFinlandFranceGermanyGreeceHungaryIrelandItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgPolandPortugalSlovak RepublicSloveniaSpainSwedenThe NetherlandsUnited Kingdom
Authors
ExpertAdam HofferDirector of Excise Tax Policy
ExpertJacob Macumber-RosinExcise Tax Policy Analyst
Stay informed on the tax policies impacting you.
Subscribe
About
The mission of Tax Foundation Europe is to improve lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity.
Statutes
Tax Foundation Europe is a nonprofit international association under Belgian law (AISBL), governed by its statutes (dated 20 February 2024).
Careers
Contact Us
Tax Foundation Europe
Rue d’Arlon 40
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Copyright Tax Foundation 2025
Copyright Notice
Privacy Policy
