Fuel prices in Latvia: not among the EU's highest per litre, but costly relative to income

Fuel prices in Latvia have been climbing recently, raising the question of how the cost of fuel here compares to other European Union member states.

Price per litre is not the highest

Looking purely at the price per litre, Latvia is far from being among the EU's most expensive countries for fuel. Several other member states show higher per-litre prices than those recorded in Latvia.

A different picture relative to income

However, the situation looks quite different when fuel prices are compared against the income levels of residents. Viewed this way, fuel becomes considerably less affordable in Latvia than in countries with higher incomes, even where the nominal price per litre is higher. This suggests that Latvian residents must spend a relatively larger share of their income on fuel than people in many other EU countries.

A video accompanying the report illustrates the price differences between countries.