The second phase of the Operation starting at Easter starts with fuels at annual highs

The fluctuating weather has not stopped an Easter with abundant traffic on Spanish roads. This holiday period, in which at least 16.5 million trips are estimated, is accompanied by a new, although slight, increase in gasoline and diesel prices. In the first case, that of the most common fuel in Spanish passenger cars and which has now increased for 10 consecutive weeks, its price is close to reaching that of last Easter, while diesel, despite the recent decrease, is slightly below above then.

At the start of the second phase of Operation Exit, the cost of a liter of 95 gasoline stands at 1.63 euros, according to the latest data published in the Petroleum Bulletin of the European Union, which represents 1.24% more than the previous week. Meanwhile, a liter of diesel reaches 1.5 euros, 0.52% more than seven days ago. In the last month, gasoline has risen by 2.32%, while diesel has become cheaper by 1.35%.

Drivers who decide to completely fill the tank before starting their trip will have to pay, if it is gasoline, around 88.88 euros, almost one euro less than the previous Easter, while if the operation is with diesel, refuel completely. The tank will cost 84.26 euros, about 17 cents more expensive than in 2023. Although the amounts may vary depending on the service station: it is possible to find different points in the geography of the Peninsula where the range ranges between 1.35 and 1.95 euros, in the case of gasoline; and 1.16 and 1.99, in the case of diesel, according to data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition.

Despite the slight increase this week, produced, to a large extent, by the recurring supply cuts applied by the OPEC cartel, both fuels remain far from the maximums they reached in the summer of 2022, a few months after the war. in Ukraine, when gasoline rose to 2.14 euros and diesel 2.1. Current prices, rather, have embarked on the path of moderation and are similar to what they were in the previous months before this conflict broke out. At that time—January, February 2022—the amounts were around 1,592 and 1,479 euros respectively.

As a result of a lower tax burden—and, in part, due to the lower cost of raw materials—fuels are cheaper in Spain than in the euro zone average, where they are around 1,813 euros in the case of gasoline. and the 1,708 if it is diesel. Due to its high taxation, Denmark is the country where refueling is the most expensive, with gasoline exceeding two euros per liter and diesel at 1.74.

The second phase of the exit operation began with 4% more traffic than in 2023, with around 9.6 million trips, which represents 58% of all those planned for this entire recess season. This holiday exodus began the previous Friday and will conclude on Monday of next week, a holiday still in several autonomous communities.