Polish diesel prices reach record 8.89 PLN per litre as Middle East disruption hits supply

Nationwide price surges

Retail fuel prices across Polish filling stations reached new highs in mid-September 2026, driven by global supply constraints and domestic fiscal policy changes. The average national price for diesel rose by 14 groszy over recent days to reach 8.89 PLN per litre, according to price monitoring data from e-petrol.pl. Petrol 95 (E10) increased by 9 groszy to 7.98 PLN per litre, recording a comparatively smaller rise due to lower wholesale petrol prices recorded in the previous week. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) saw the steepest proportional increase among consumer fuels, climbing by 13 groszy to reach an average of 3.08 PLN per litre.

Market analysts from e-petrol.pl described the worsening price climate confronting drivers at stations nationwide.

Mid-September is a time of horrendously expensive fuels at Polish stations. Diesel fuel prices, which were already shocking last week, have risen even further. The historic price record for diesel has been broken.

Regional variations across voivodeships

Fuel prices climbed across all administrative regions in Poland, leaving narrow margins between the most and least expensive areas. The highest regional price for diesel was recorded in the Świętokrzyskie voivodeship, where the fuel reached an all-time local high of 8.90 PLN per litre. For petrol E10, the most expensive region was Lower Silesia (Dolny Śląsk) with an average of 7.96 PLN per litre. Drivers in the West Pomeranian voivodeship (Zachodniopomorskie) paid the highest average price for LPG, which reached 3.13 PLN per litre.

The lowest standard fuel prices were registered in the Małopolska region, where petrol E10 averaged 7.89 PLN per litre and diesel stood at 8.83 PLN per litre. The Warmia and Mazury voivodeship recorded the lowest autogaz price in the country, averaging 2.97 PLN per litre and remaining the only region in Poland where LPG stayed below the three-zloty mark.

Middle East disruption and tax structure

The current price surge follows supply interruptions in the Middle East that began on 12 September 2026, when infrastructure damage affected key transport links including the East-West pipeline. The disruption led to a suspension of crude oil deliveries from Saudi Arabia and reduced international refining output. In response to the shortfall in Middle Eastern crude, Polish refiner Orlen began securing replacement volumes from alternative markets, including the United States, Kazakhstan, and the North Sea.

Taxes constitute a significant share of the retail price paid by motorists at the pump. Over 30% of the total price is composed of excise duty, the fuel fee, the emission fee, and 23% value-added tax (VAT). Polish fuel prices had remained lower than Western European levels during the summer under the government's CPN relief package, but that program expired on 31 August 2026. Following the expiration, Polish pump prices rapidly converged with European benchmarks, with German prices rising above 10 PLN per litre (between 2.31 and 2.41 euros per litre), even as prices in neighbouring Czechia and Slovakia remained lower than in Poland.

Government response and fiscal debates

The rapid rise in pump costs prompted discussions regarding state intervention in both Poland and neighbouring countries. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the government is prepared to reinstate the CPN fuel discount package. However, Tusk made the return of the program conditional on President Karol Nawrocki signing a resubmitted bill imposing a windfall tax on fuel company profits. Across the western border, the German federal coalition opened discussions on potential fuel relief measures aimed at lowering prices from 1 October 2026.