Bulgaria recorded the sharpest annual increase in fuel and lubricant prices across the European Union in May, according to Eurostat data. Compared with the same month a year earlier, prices in the country surged by 33.9%, placing Bulgaria at the top of the EU ranking for fuel inflation.
Among the countries following Bulgaria were Luxembourg, where prices rose by 32.2%, Lithuania with a 30.8% increase, and Romania at 30.4%. At the other end of the scale was Hungary, which registered the smallest annual rise of just 3.5%.
Across the EU as a whole, fuel and lubricant prices for private vehicles increased by an average of 20.7% year-on-year in May, meaning Bulgaria’s increase was significantly above the European average.
The figures also highlight a rapid acceleration in fuel price growth over recent months. Annual inflation in the category stood at 6% in March, jumped to 27.8% in April, and approached 34% in May, indicating a sharp upward trend.
On a month-to-month basis, however, the increase was far more moderate. Compared with April, fuel and lubricant prices in Bulgaria rose by 1.1% in May. This followed a much steeper monthly increase of 14.7% recorded a month earlier.
A breakdown by fuel type shows that diesel prices across the EU climbed by 29% over the past year, while gasoline prices rose by 16.2%. Monthly developments differed considerably between the two fuels. In May, diesel prices across the bloc fell by an average of 5.8% compared with April, whereas gasoline prices edged up by 0.8%.
Bulgaria was among the countries where diesel prices declined the least. The monthly decrease was just 0.7%, compared with much larger reductions elsewhere in Europe, including 11.9% in Germany, 8.5% in Greece, and 8.4% in Estonia.
Gasoline followed a different pattern. Most EU member states reported higher prices in May, with increases recorded in 23 countries. Italy posted the largest monthly rise at 6.9%. Only Germany, Ireland, and Sweden registered a decline in gasoline prices during the month.