A litre of petrol in the UK costs 131.9p. In the United States, it's 74.2p. In Norway, it's 184.2p. The difference comes down almost entirely to tax — and where the UK sits in that global table might surprise you.
We've converted the latest February 2026 average prices into pence per litre across 10 countries to give you a direct, like-for-like comparison. All figures use GlobalPetrolPrices.com data converted at current exchange rates.
The global petrol price table
| Country | Petrol (ppl) | vs UK |
|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 184.2p | +52.3p |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 172.5p | +40.6p |
| 🇫🇷 France | 158.1p | +26.2p |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 154.8p | +22.9p |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 131.9p | — |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 128.4p | -3.5p |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 125.1p | -6.8p |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 98.5p | -33.4p |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 92.7p | -39.2p |
| 🇺🇸 USA | 74.2p | -57.7p |
How it looks as a bar chart
The visual gap between European and North American prices is stark. The UK sits roughly in the middle of this range — cheaper than most of Western Europe, but significantly more expensive than the English-speaking world outside it.
It's almost entirely about tax
The base cost of crude oil and refining is roughly the same for everyone — it's a global commodity. The reason a litre of petrol costs 131.9p in the UK but only 74.2p in the US is almost entirely down to how much tax each government adds on top. For a full breakdown of how the UK price is built, see our guide to how UK fuel prices are set.
That 57% figure means that of the 131.9p you pay per litre in the UK, roughly 75p goes to the government in duty and VAT. The actual cost of the petrol itself — crude, refining, transport, and retailer margin — accounts for around 57p.
Tax on tax
The UK charges 20% VAT on the total pump price — which already includes fuel duty. You're literally paying tax on top of tax. This quirk adds roughly 10.6p per litre in duty-related VAT alone.
Europe: expensive, but we're mid-table
Despite being a notoriously high-tax country, the UK is actually cheaper than four major European economies — Norway, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. That's partly because the UK has frozen fuel duty at 52.95p since 2011, while many EU nations have increased theirs.
Norway is the outlier. Despite being a major oil producer, it deliberately taxes fuel heavily to incentivise electric vehicle adoption — and it's working. Over 90% of new cars sold in Norway are now electric.
Spain sits just below the UK at 128.4p. Lower excise rates and a temporary government subsidy that ran through much of 2024–25 have kept Spanish prices competitive.
The Commonwealth: cheaper, mostly
New Zealand (125.1p) is close to UK levels despite importing all its refined fuel by tanker. Their fuel excise structure keeps it in the same ballpark, though it's still roughly £3.75 cheaper per tank.
Australia is a different story at 92.7p — nearly 40p less than the UK. Their fuel excise is around 25p per litre compared to our 52.95p, and they're geographically closer to major Asian refining hubs like Singapore, which cuts transport costs.
Australia's wild price cycles
Australian fuel prices follow a predictable weekly or fortnightly cycle — spiking 20–30 cents overnight, then slowly drifting down over 7–10 days. Drivers time their fill-ups to the bottom of the cycle. The UK's pricing is less volatile, but the best time to fill up still matters.
North America: cheap, and it's not close
Canada at 98.5p and the USA at 74.2p are in a different league. Both have vast domestic oil production and fundamentally lower tax rates — US federal and state taxes combined average about 12p per litre, compared to the UK's 52.95p in duty alone (before VAT).
On a typical 55-litre fill, that difference is brutal:
- UK: £72.55
- USA: £40.81
- Difference: £31.74 per tank — roughly £825 per year for a driver filling up fortnightly
That gap isn't going to close. US fuel taxation is politically untouchable — even modest proposals to raise it face fierce opposition. The structural difference in tax policy means American fuel will always be dramatically cheaper.
What about diesel?
The UK's diesel premium — the gap between diesel and petrol — is larger than in most countries. UK diesel averages 140.8p per litre in February 2026, roughly 9p more than petrol. In Germany, diesel is actually cheaper than petrol because of lower excise rates, while in the US the gap is negligible.
This matters if you're a diesel driver already paying more per litre. For a deeper look at what diesel is costing UK drivers right now, our fuel price breakdown covers the full split between duty, VAT, and wholesale costs.
What UK drivers can actually do
You can't change the tax rate, but you can control what you pay within the UK. Prices vary by up to 20–24p per litre depending on where you fill up — that's a bigger gap than the difference between the UK and Spain.
- Avoid motorway services — they charge 17–38p per litre more than supermarkets. Our motorway fuel pricing guide explains why.
- Compare before you fill — use Fuelwise to check live prices in your area. Even within the same town, prices can differ by 5–8p per litre.
- Fill up in cheaper regions — Scotland and the North East consistently offer lower prices than London and the South East. Check prices in London, Glasgow, or browse all 264 locations.
- Use loyalty schemes — supermarket loyalty cards can knock 2–5p per litre off if you combine fuel and grocery spending
For more practical tips, our guide to 10 proven ways to save money on fuel covers everything from driving style to payment timing.
The real saving is local
You can't fly to Texas every time you need petrol. But you can save £40–60/year just by choosing the cheapest station within a 5-minute drive. Use Fuelwise to compare prices before every fill-up.