Fuel prices in the Netherlands rise to highest level in 2.5 years

Fuel prices in the Netherlands have continued to rise and are at their highest level in 2.5 years. This reports UnitedConsumers. The average national recommended retail price for petrol comes to EUR 2.285 per litre and diesel costs EUR 2.080 per litre. In European terms, the Netherlands is the most expensive country when it comes to prices at the pump.

With the mentioned recommended retail prices, both fuels have reached the highest point since autumn 2023, according to UnitedConsumers. The rise is linked to higher oil prices and turmoil in the global market. The last time petrol prices were this high was on 25 September 2023. Back then, the recommended retail price was €2.289 per litre. Since 26 September 2023, petrol was not as expensive as it is now.

“The main reason for this increase is the oil price,” says fuel expert Derk Foolen of UnitedConsumers. “That now sits above $70 a barrel, while in December 2025 we were still around $60. If geopolitical tensions and uncertainties persist, you will soon see that reflected in the advisory prices for fuels. That difference of about ten dollars a barrel will quickly work its way into fuel advisory prices.”

Diesel follows

Diesel has also risen sharply in price. The current recommended retail price of €2.080 is the highest point since early October 2023. The price was lower in 2024 and 2025, but rising oil prices are now putting pressure on the market again. “Global uncertainty in particular is putting additional pressure on the market. The fuel market is constantly changing,” said Foolen, stressing that these are national recommended prices. Petrol stations are allowed to deviate from these themselves. In practice, prices at the pump are often lower, especially at unmanned petrol stations.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult for manned petrol stations to keep the price under two euros for a litre. This has to do with their costs, the location of the filling station and competition in the neighbourhood,” Foolen said. “If the recommended retail price continues to rise, it will become difficult even for unmanned filling stations to stay under two euros.”

Leader

According to data from GlobalPetrolPrices, the Netherlands currently has by far the highest petrol price in Europe. According to the website, an average of 2.026 euros must now be paid for a litre of Euro95 in our country. Globally, this puts the Netherlands in third place, after Malawi and Hong Kong where petrol prices are even higher. In the Netherlands, the average petrol price at the pump is also significantly higher than in tax havens such as Liechtenstein and Monaco.

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