Gasoline and diesel will become more expensive, as a result of the increase in excise duties and the increase in VAT on fuels, the effect for a full tank translating into tens of lei more and several hundred lei per year.
Gasoline and diesel will become more expensive from January 1, 2026. Archive photo
In 2024, the excise duty on gasoline was 2.38 lei/l, and on diesel 2.32 lei/l, with a VAT of 19%. However, the situation changed from the summer of 2025, when the excise duty on gasoline increased to 2.78 lei/l, the excise duty on diesel reached 2.55 lei/l, and the VAT applied to fuel was increased to 21%.
“For 2026, excise duties will continue to rise, to 3.06 lei/l for petrol and 2.80 lei/l for diesel, while VAT remains at 21%“, declared Dumitru Chisăliță, president of the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI).
According to him, tax increases are immediately reflected in the final price of petroleum products.
“For gasoline, the increase in the excise duty and the related VAT lead to a total estimated price increase of approximately 0.28 lei per liter, which means an increase of approximately 3.8%, compared to a reference price of 7.36 lei/l.
In the case of diesel, the price increase is approximately 0.25 lei per liter, approximately 3.3%, calculated at a price of 7.56 lei/l”said the energy expert.
Prices close to 8 lei per liter from January 1, 2026
Thus, if currently a liter of gasoline costs approximately 7.61 lei, and one liter of diesel costs 7.73 lei, after the application of the new excise taxes the prices can reach:
• 7.68 lei/l for petrol,
• 7.81 lei/l for diesel.
“The psychological threshold of 8 lei per liter will probably be exceeded and the price will not return below 8 lei/l after 2026“, added the expert.
How much does a full tank cost after inflation
The difference is clearly visible with each feed:
• a full 50 liter of petrol will cost 14 lei more, and at 60 litres, the increase reaches 15 lei.
• a full 50 liter of diesel will cost 12.5 lei more, and at 60 litres, the increase reaches 15 lei.
Hundreds of extra lei per year for each driver
In the long run, the costs add up. At an average mileage of 1,000 km per month, with a consumption of 7 l/100 km, a driver will pay in 2026:
• 235.20 lei extra for petrol,
• 210.00 lei extra for diesel.
For those who travel approximately 15,000 km per year, the additional costs amount to:
• 294 lei per year for gasoline,
• 262.50 lei per year for diesel.
“Although the price increase of 30-33 money per liter may seem small, its effect is constant and inevitable. Each full becomes more expensive, and at the end of a bill it reaches several hundred lei. The increase in excise taxes and VAT confirms, once again, that fiscal policies are most clearly seen at the pump — where drivers pay directly“, concludes Chisăliță.
50-60% of the pump price is fees and taxes
The price of fuel in Romania reflects a mix between production or import costs, taxes and duties imposed by the state, as well as the profit margin of gas stations, being directly influenced by the evolution of Brent oil on the international market.
Economists estimate that over 50–60% of the price at the pump is duties and taxes – making any tax change immediately reflected in the price.
The increase in fuel prices from 2025 had a direct impact on inflation, as rising petrol and diesel prices increased transport and production costs in almost all sectors, from food and consumer goods to services, fueling further inflationary pressures and delaying the overall moderation of price increases in the economy.
In January, the average prices at the pump for gasoline and standard diesel were around 6.5–7.3 lei/l – gasoline and 6.8–7.4 lei/l – diesel. After the fiscal wave from August 1, 2025, with excise and VAT increases, gasoline reached around 7.4–7.5 lei/l, and diesel – 7.8 lei/l or close to it, in many stations. At the end of November – beginning of December 2025, diesel exceeded 8 lei/l in many places, and gasoline approached 7.6 lei/l.
Overall, compared to the beginning of the year, gasoline ended up being about 15–17% more expensive, and diesel about 15–18% more expensive, depending on the exact year-to-date benchmark and station type.
