Hungary sees surge in fuel use and leads EU in Russian pipeline gas purchases

Hungary's retail fuel consumption rose sharply in the first half of 2026, increasing by 10.4% overall. Motor gasoline sales grew 8.5% and diesel 11.7% compared with the same period last year, reaching a total of 2.080 billion litres – 808 million litres of gasoline and 1.272 billion litres of diesel. Premium gasoline fell slightly, while sales of 95‑octane gasoline and non‑premium diesel both rose double‑digit percentages.

In the same period, Hungary spent €1.1 billion on Russian pipeline natural gas, the largest amount among EU member states in the first five months of the year. This accounted for about 14% of the EU’s total pipeline gas imports, despite a 14% drop from the previous year. The data underline Hungary’s continued reliance on Russian energy as the EU prepares to phase out all Russian fossil‑fuel imports by the end of 2027.