Gasoline in Portugal is more expensive than the EU average

According to ERSE data, the average selling price of direct gasoline in Portugal in the third quarter was 4.3 cents per liter higher than the averages in the EU-27, while the price of direct diesel was 2.6 cents lower.

According to the price bulletin for the EU-27 (European Union 27) for fuel, released this Wednesday by Entidade Regladora dos Serviços Energéticos (ERSE), for 95 ordinary gasoline, “In the third quarter of 2022, Portugal presented the average selling price [PMV] and the average pre-tax price is above the averages tested in the EU-27, around 4.3 cents/l. [cêntimos por litro] in both cases”.

“The tax burden on the average selling price of 95 grade gasoline in the third quarter was about 44% in Portugal, which is below the EU27 average (44.6%) and higher than in Belgium (43.6%). 3%), Germany (36.3%) and Spain (42.8%),” he explains.

According to him, “the reduction in the tax burden applied in Portugal contributed to the fact that the average selling prices of this fuel on the national market were lower than the average prices in Spain, by about 3.7 cents / l.”

However, “national PMV is higher than the EU27 average, ranking 13th among the countries with the highest prices”, which corresponds to the practical price “difference of 56.0 cents/l and 34.1 cents/l compared to the country. with the lowest prices and the countries with the highest prices, respectively.

Among the eight countries analyzed in more detail — Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands — “Belgium had the lowest average selling price, about 3.4 cents per litre, lower than the Portuguese average. tax effect, the average price of this fuel on the national market was about one cent/l higher than the prices practiced in Belgium,” notes ERSE.

For plain diesel, “in the third quarter of 2022, Portugal reported average prices with taxes lower by 2.6 cents/l and excluding taxes by 0.7 cents/l higher than the averages tested in the EU-27, respectively “. .

“Portugal presented a tax burden on the average price of simple diesel fuel of about 37%, in the quarter under review, the value is below the average value registered in the EU-27 (38%), France (50%), Greece. (42%) and Belgium (40%), but higher than in Germany (33%),” ERSE clarifies.

According to the regulator, “the reduction in the tax burden applied in Portugal contributed to the fact that the average selling prices of this fuel on the national market were lower than the average prices practiced in Spain by about four cents / l.”

In the third quarter, Portugal ranked eighth among the countries that sell the cheapest regular diesel in the EU-27, with the price charged corresponding to a difference of 62.2 cents/l and 48.9 cents/l compared to the country with the lowest prices and the country with the highest prices, respectively.

“Among the eight countries analyzed in more detail, Portugal had the lowest average price including taxes, about 7.3 cents/liter lower than the average price in Spain. /l below the values ​​registered in Spain,” explains ERSE.

For 95 straight petrol, the EU-27 tax-free average realized price decreased by 5.0 cents/l from the second to third quarter of 2022, with Portugal practicing tax-free PMV 4.0 cents/l lower than in Portugal. Spain.

According to the regulator’s bulletin, “although Portugal has a higher tax burden (44%) in the context of the Iberian Peninsula, the Portuguese PMV was about 3.9 cents/l lower than in Spain.”

For regular diesel fuel, the EU27 7 tax-free PMV increased by 0.7 cents/liter from the second to third quarter of 2022, with “tax-free national average prices 3.9 cents/liter lower than to a neighboring country.

ERSE notes that “Portugal’s tax burden (37%) was identical to Spain’s (37%), justifying the country’s practice of lower PMV” compared to Spain.

Finally, with regard to liquefied petroleum gas for cars (GPL Auto), from July to September “domestic prices with and without taxes were lower than in Spain”.

According to ERSE, “compared to the EU27 average, the national PMV was 5.3 cents/l higher, but excluding taxes, national prices were 3.9 cents/l below the European average.”