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"If petrol is expensive, blame oil." In France, about half the price of unleaded at the pump is not the barrels — it is tax.
Published on September 21, 2026 · to be rechecked on December 21, 2026
As of 24 August 2026, tax made up 50.1% of the price of SP95-E10 petrol and 43.9% of diesel. Two levies stack up: the fuel excise (formerly TICPE), a fixed 67.0 cents per litre for SP95-E10 and 60.8 cents for diesel, then 20% VAT, charged on both the fuel and the excise itself. By mid-September 2026 SP95-E10 averaged €2.153/L and diesel €2.332/L nationwide.
When a tank costs a lot, is it because of oil?
Half of it is not: about 50% of the SP95 price is tax, before the cost of the fuel itself.
In other words: you pay VAT on a tax — VAT also applies to the excise amount.
Five caveats that belong with the number
- The excise is fixed per litre: when crude rises, the tax share in percent mechanically falls, and vice versa.
- Rates differ by fuel: about 50% for SP95-E10, 44% for diesel, long taxed less.
- Figures as of 24 August 2026; by mid-September, with crude up, the SP95 tax share had eased to around 46-49%.
- These taxes fund the state budget: the excise is not earmarked for road maintenance.
- Regional gaps and occasional retailer discounts add to the picture.
Why it still matters: the pump price depends as much on tax policy as on the oil market.
For you
- Did you know half your tank of SP95 goes to tax?
- Should the excise be fixed, or proportional to the fuel price?
Source: official structure of French fuel prices (excise formerly TICPE, and VAT, 2026 rates) and weekly price surveys from the French energy ministry, August-September 2026.
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