Albania faces highest fuel cost relative to income in Europe

Fuel prices in Albania have reached 229 lek (2.46 euros) per liter, ranking the country third in Europe for most expensive oil, following Denmark (2.60 euros) and Norway (2.56 euros). While the nominal price is high, the economic impact on Albanian consumers is disproportionately severe when compared to income levels.

Using data from Global Petrol Prices and IMF purchasing power parity (PPP) projections, analysis shows that one liter of fuel in Albania consumes approximately 3.56% of the average daily income per capita. This represents the highest percentage in Europe. In contrast, despite having the highest nominal fuel prices, a citizen in Denmark requires only 1.06% of their daily income to purchase one liter of fuel.

In the Balkan region, fuel prices remain lower than in Albania, with Serbia at nearly 2 euros, Montenegro at 1.87 euros, Bosnia and Herzegovina at 1.76 euros, Kosovo at 1.85 euros, and North Macedonia at 1.64 euros. The European average for the compared countries is approximately 1.94 euros per liter.