Bulgaria experienced the highest annual increase in fuel prices within the European Union in September 2026, with prices for fuels and lubricants used in personal transport surging by 42.2% compared to the same month the previous year. This marked the steepest rise recorded across the EU, where the overall annual increase averaged 31.4%.
Following Bulgaria, Estonia and Lithuania saw significant hikes in their fuel prices, recording increases of 40.6% and 40.2%, respectively. On the lower end, Hungary experienced the smallest annual increase at 6.9%, while Ireland and Sweden reported increases of 17.7% and 19.9%, respectively.
The EU’s fuel price escalation accelerated over the summer months, climbing from a 16.9% increase in July to 23.8% in August, before reaching the 31.4% mark in September. On a month-to-month basis, diesel and petrol prices across the EU rose by 5.9% and 6.7%, respectively, between August and September. Notably, Sweden recorded the largest monthly increases, with diesel prices rising by 12.8% and petrol by 13.8%.
In Bulgaria, the rise in fuel prices has been pronounced since February 2026. According to the report, the average price of A95 petrol increased from €1.26 per litre in late February to €1.65 by October 21. Similarly, diesel prices rose from €1.29 to €1.91 per litre over the same period.