The rise in pump prices in Germany is starting to change motorists’ behavior. According to a recent poll, nearly one in three drivers now use their car less frequently, in a context of sharp energy price increases since the outbreak of the war against Iran.
According to Teambank’s liquidity barometer, about a third of German motorists report driving less, a share that rises to 35% among those under 30. The survey was conducted by YouGov with more than 3,000 people in a representative sample.
Budgets Under Pressure
The survey highlights mounting pressure on purchasing power. 41% of respondents say they have less money to spend after paying fixed charges such as rent and electricity than a year ago.
For Teambank’s head Christian Polenz, fuel price has become for many Germans the most visible indicator of their personal inflation—a gauge that, he says, is currently spiraling.
This pressure is reflected in household trade-offs: when asked which expense they would most be willing to cut by 100 euros per month, one in five participants cited the car, fuel and car insurance.
Prices Still High Despite a Dip
Specifically, on June 11, 2026, the price per liter of diesel averaged 1.851 euros and Super E10 at 1.876 euros in Germany. These levels remain high, but down from the spring’s all-time high.
April 2026 was the most expensive month on record, with an average of 2.109 euros per liter for Super E10 and 2.263 euros for diesel; on April 7, diesel even reached 2.446 euros per liter, the most expensive day since records began.
Several Hundred Euros More per Year
The cost is tangible, though it depends on individual habits. Since the start of the war, the price of gasoline has risen by about 30 cents per liter and diesel by 56 cents.
Using data from the German Federal Ministry of Transport, which assumes an average annual mileage of 10,300 km for a petrol car (7.7 l/100 km) and 17,300 km for a diesel (7.0 l/100 km), we can estimate the impact at unchanged consumption.
Under this assumption, a 30-cent-per-liter increase would amount to about 238 euros in additional annual costs for a petrol driver.
For a diesel, the 56-cent increase would raise the annual extra cost to more than 600 euros. These amounts are estimates: they vary by vehicle, actual consumption, and distance traveled.
A Tax Cut That Temporarily Eases Inflation
On the macro level, price increases slowed slightly. Annual inflation returned to 2.6% in May 2026, down from 2.9% in April — the highest since January 2024 — and 2.7% in March. Energy prices remained 6.6% above their level a year earlier, after rising 10.1% in April, and the price index even fell by 0.2% month on month.
This relief is due to a specific measure. According to IMK, Germany stands out in the euro area with a clear drop in inflation in May, the decisive reason being the cut in fuel taxes.
Applied from May 1 to June 30, 2026, this energy tax reduction is about 14 cents per liter; by also reducing the VAT charged on it, it could lower the pump price by about 17 cents — without any guarantee, however, that the entire amount is passed on by all stations.
Since April 1, an “Austrian model” also limits price increases decided by oil companies to once per day, while cuts remain possible at any time.
A Short-Lived Relief
But the measure is coming to an end. Its expiration on June 30 could trigger a mechanical price rebound if oil prices and refining margins stay high, reviving fears of renewed cost-of-living and transport pressures.
Monetary conditions have also tightened. The European Central Bank raised its deposit rate by 0.25 percentage point to 2.25%, its first hike in nearly three years, effective June 17, 2026.
Facing this situation, Germans are backing support measures. According to the survey, 47% of participants support a cut in VAT to improve their financial situation, while about a third favor capping fuel prices.
A Sign for Tunisia to Consider
The German experience shows how quickly a sustained rise in fuel prices changes travel patterns and household trade-offs, even in an economy with incomes well above those of Tunisia.
For Tunisia’s finances, the choice currently is to keep pump prices unchanged, absorbing the shock through the subsidy regime.
