Due to factors like taxes and subsidies, diesel costs differ across different borders. For different African countries, each government levies its own set of taxes while having access to the same global petroleum prices. Retail prices for petroleum products therefore differ globally, with certain countries charging more than others.
The importance of diesel fuel in Africa cannot be overstated. Given the continent’s reliance on fossil fuels, it is appropriate to deduce that most of Africa’s economy is powered by this fuel source.
Reluctance to adopt cleaner energy alternatives makes diesel a relevant source of energy in powering numerous sectors across several African countries.
As a result, it is easy to see why a high cost of diesel can be very detrimental to economic growth on a continent that almost generally relies so heavily on fossil fuels.
Countries with high diesel costs typically experience high inflationary pressures given the fact that a rise in the price of this energy fuel can cause the costs of operations in some sectors including agriculture, manufacturing and construction to go up.
Once the cost of production goes up, especially for industries that deal in consumer goods, the price of the finished product inevitably increases, leading to inflation across the market.
With that said, here are the top 10 African countries that have to deal with this problem. The countries listed below boast 10 of the most expensive diesel prices in Africa according to GlobalPetrolPrices.
The list was last updated on the 19th of August, 2024, with the global average price of diesel being 1.24 U.S dollars per liter compared to 1.25 U.S dollars in July.
The price of diesel for Central Africa Republic increased in August compared to July, alongside Zimbabwe, Seychelles, and Togo. While diesel prices for Malawi, and Guinea fell slightly.
The prices of diesel for Sierra Leone, and Mozambique remained the same. Mauritius and Cameroon are new entries on the list for this month, while Ethiopia fell off.
The price of diesel for Ethiopia, which was on the 10 most expensive diesel price list in Africa last month, declined significantly, going from $1.451 in July to $0.765, currently.
Top 10 African countries with the highest cost of diesel in August 2024
Rank | Country | Diesel price | Global rank |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Central Africa Republic | $2.287 | 4th |
2. | Zimbabwe | $1.630 | 39th |
3. | Malawi | $1.575 | 43rd |
4. | Seychelles | $1.560 | 46th |
5. | Sierra Leone | $1.448 | 47th |
6. | Mozambique | $1.428 | 50th |
7. | Togo | $1.415 | 52nd |
8. | Cameroon | $1.402 | 53rd |
9. | Guinea | $1.391 | 55th |
10. | Mauritius | $1.386 | 56th |
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