Fuel Prices - What Is The Rest Of The World Paying?

[moonman]

I keep reading, hearing and seeing TV news and talk radio sources how high gasoline, diesel and home heating fuel oil prices are in America. What I haven't seen, read or heard is how other countries are coping and what impact they are experiencing both as a nation or on their typical individual citizens.

Every hour we hear how horrible it is (and it is!) to have $3.65 per gallon gas and over $4.00 diesel fuel prices. How are the current strong economically developing countries like China and India handling this.

I know there are many FReepers on this forum who live or work outside the U.S., and I'd like to get their feedback and outlook.

[BlueMoose]

In 1998 I lived in Korea. We paid won per liter. I think that i figeed out to about $5.00 per gal.

[torquinus]

Here in Sweden we are at 13.8 Swedish Kronor per liter, up around 10% in the last month. This works out to around 2.31 per liter, or at 3.79 liters per gallon, around 8.76 a gallon. Keep in mind that the dollar has tanked the last 6 months and lost around 40% of it’s value. I expect gas to go up to around 20 Swedish by years end. As an aside, around 70% of the cost is tax....

[BlueMoose]

make that 1988

[torquinus]

oh yeah, and I’m toolin’ around in a 1992 STS so I’m cuttin’ back on cruising..

[djf]

I figeed once.

But not in my pants.

[moonman]

wow ... 70% tax!!! How bad is the outrage on gas prices as a whole and the separate tax?

[RightField]

I found this World Gas Prices from 2007. Gee ... look at Venezuela way down at the bottom.

[moneyrunner]

I posted on that a few days ago. Here is your answer.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

not much I don’t think..after all, this high tax helps pay for “free” health care..

[RU88]

These graphs are somewhat deceptive in that one would have to also look at taxes and subsidies when looking at these prices. Europe's gas and diesel prices are heavily taxed to pay for socialism, i.e. universal health care, early retirement, and the like. Some of the other oil producing countries on the list, i.e. Venezuela, Iran, Saudi, subsidize the price of gas and diesel for domestic consumption. You can also be sure that both China and India will begin to subsidize the price of fuel, if they have not already, to allow for a growing of their middle classes. My point being that the true price is distorted by these variations.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

In Germany it is €1.50 a liter.
That is around $7.25 a gallon for regular.

Diesel is about 0.25 cents cheaper because it is taxed more lightly due to the fact that it is more efficient.

[philly-d-kidder]

We pay 60 Fils a Liter but with the weakening Dollar it now is $.86 per Gallon.

[kevinm13]

Who cares what the rest of the world pays. Most of it is taxes, as in Europe. Let free markets determine what the price should be and allow drilling in ANWR.

[JeanLM]

We have been spoiled for decades with our gasoline and diesel prices. The rest of the developed world has always had much higher prices than we’ve had. The difference being the taxes applied, since the world commodity price for refined products is the same.

The difference in state taxes accounts for most of the differences between states here in the USA. Diesel is higher here than gasoline because it’s more heavily taxed, and since 2006 has had to meet the 15 ppm sulfur standard up from 500 ppm. Europe favors diesel in taxation because it’s more efficient, so it’s subsidized.

Don’t sell yor SUV now. You won’t get anything for it and at $4.00/gal. at a difference of 10 mpg, it’ll take you years to recoup the loss on the vehicle net.

[robby]

The question I would like answered is, are fuel prices rising worldwide at a similar rate as the USA? If they are, how are they coping as the original poster asked?

[ViLaLuz]

In Guatemala 2002, gas came out to around $3.65 a gallon.

[moonman]

Exactly. Are other countries experiencing these same rapid price hikes and if they are, how is it affecting them economically and politically, also, how are their citizens reacting?