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Top 10 African countries with the highest fuel prices in May 2025
As the fifth month of 2025 rolls on, several African countries are still dealing with consistently high fuel prices, a pattern that strains economies, inflates family spending, and stymies development efforts
Business Insider Africa
published: May 12, 2025
As the fifth month of 2025 rolls on, several African countries are still dealing with consistently high fuel prices, a pattern that strains economies, inflates family spending, and stymies development efforts
- Business Insider Africa presents the top 10 African countries with the highest fuel prices in April 2025.
- This list is courtesy of GlobalPetrolPrices.
- The Central African Republic ranks number 1 on the list.
While global oil prices remain uncertain, the impact of high local gasoline costs in Africa is especially severe due to the continent's economic vulnerability and reliance on fuel for essential industries.
High fuel prices result in greater transportation and manufacturing expenses.
In nations like Nigeria, where fuel prices range from ₦860 to ₦900 per liter as of early May 2025, the typical person suffers the burden of higher expenditures across the board, from food to public transit.
For small firms, particularly those in logistics, agriculture, and retail, rising fuel prices cut into already narrow margins and frequently necessitate price increases, making goods and services more expensive for the general public.
Fuel prices are a key factor in inflation. SEE ALSO: Top 10 African countries with the lowest fuel prices in April 2025
When fuel grows more costly, the cost of carrying commodities rises, influencing everything from market food prices to building supplies.
In much of Africa, public transportation is mainly reliant on gasoline-powered buses, taxis, and motorbikes.
High gasoline prices immediately influence transportation costs, making it more difficult for workers to commute inexpensively.
This lowers mobility, increases absenteeism, and limits economic production, especially in metropolitan areas where informal workers must travel vast distances to make a livelihood.
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Furthermore, governments are obliged to spend more on fuel procurement for public services, which frequently diverts funding away from infrastructure development or education.
This hinders some things within an economy, including the central banks' attempts to control inflation, and hampers economic recovery in nations that have previously recovered from fiscal mismanagement or external debt obligations.
With that said, here are the 10 African countries with the highest fuel prices in May, according to data from Global Petrolprices.
As opposed to the top 10 list last month, when the global average was 1.25 Dollars per liter, up to 1.26 Dollars per liter, this month, fuel prices for fuel prices for Senegal, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Cameroon all spiked marginally.
While fuel prices for Central Africa Republic, and Zimbabwe, dipped slightly.
Fuel prices for Sierre Leone and Guinea remained the same, as Morocco ousted Syechelles for a spot on this month’s top 10 list.
Top 10 African countries with the highest fuel prices in May 2025
| Rank | Country | Fuel price | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Central Africa Republic | $1.813 | 23rd |
| 2. | Senegal | $1.719 | 28th |
| 3. | Zimbabwe | $1.530 | 46th |
| 4. | Ivory Coast | $1.484 | 50th |
| 5. | Burkina Faso | $1.476 | 51st |
| 6. | Malawi | $1.459 | 53rd |
| 7. | Cameroon | $1.451 | 54th |
| 8. | Sierra Leone | $1.387 | 58th |
| 9. | Guinea | $1.386 | 59th |
| 10. | Morocco | $1.378 | 60th |
