Heavy burdens: Top 10 countries with highest prices of diesel in August 2026
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Hong Kong topped the global diesel rankings at KSh 603 per litre, nearly three times the global average of KSh 204 per litre
- Malawi was the most expensive diesel market in Africa at approximately KSh 438 per litre, well above Kenya's new pump price of KSh 217.86
- Economists note that although some countries have significantly high prices compared to Kenya, the high costs are offset by higher incomes and purchasing power
Elijah Ntongai is an experienced editor at TUKO.co.ke, with more than four years in financial, business, labour and technology research and reporting. His work provides valuable insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
Recent global oil price trends have been shaped by a tug-of-war between intensifying supply risks from the Strait of Hormuz conflict and weakening demand expectations.
The Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that carried a fifth of the world's oil before the war, has seen traffic plummet to a trickle, with some days recording zero ship transits.
Continued tanker attacks, a stalled US-Iran ceasefire, and President Trump's refusal to extend the truce have kept supply risks elevated.
However, oil's reaction has been notably muted, and prices have not surged as they might have earlier in the year, largely because the IEA projects global oil demand will fall by 1.6 million barrels per day in 2026 due to high fuel prices suppressing consumption.
Where is the Kenya global fuel prices picture?
In Kenya, motorists got a rare piece of good news at the pump in August after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announced on August 14, 2026, that diesel would fall by KSh 5 per litre to KSh 217.86 in ther capital for the August 15–September 14 pricing cycle.
Within Africa, GlobalPetrolPrices data from August 17, 2026, placed Malawi as the continent's costliest diesel market, followed by the Central African Republic, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Kenya ranked eighth on the continent and approximately 55th globally at that time, just above South Africa and Uganda.
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Daniel Kathali, an economist, explained that there are wide variations in the specifics of each economy since even in some of the countries where the prices are very high compared to Kenya, the incomes and purchasing capacity are significantly high, which offset the high prices.
"The diesel prices across countries are driven by a complex mix of factors that differ from nation to nation, but the most common determinant is taxation policy. Some countries impose high excise duties and environmental levies that can account for more than half the pump price. Geography is a bid determinant because landlocked nations such as Malawi, Rwanda, and Uganda pay a significant premium for inland freight on top of the landed cost of imported fuel, while import-dependent island economies like Hong Kong and Singapore face high costs due to their total reliance on refined product imports," the economist said.
Kathali also explained that the strength of a country's currency against the US dollar directly influences prices.
"The global oil market trades in dollars. Weaker currencies drive up local costs when the petroleum products are imported."
He noted that in many other cases, government subsidy programmes are used to absorb costs to keep prices low.
Countries Paying the Most for Diesel
Generally, the highest prices are consistently found in countries with high taxation, import dependence, and either geographic isolation or limited domestic refining.
According to GlobalPetrolPrices data from August 17, 2026, the ten countries with the highest diesel prices are:
Country | Diesel Price (USD/litre) | Approx. KSh/litre |
Hong Kong | 4.657 | 603 |
Malawi | 3.381 | 438 |
Denmark | 2.883 | 373 |
Singapore | 2.751 | 356 |
Switzerland | 2.717 | 352 |
Netherlands | 2.696 | 349 |
Finland | 2.670 | 346 |
Israel | 2.645 | 343 |
Germany | 2.631 | 341 |
Liechtenstein | 2.609 | 338 |
The global average diesel price stood at $1.57 per litre (roughly KSh 204) as of August 17, 2026, placing Hong Kong's price at nearly three times that benchmark.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.