Driving has become significantly more expensive on average recently, driven by soaring oil prices. The prices for goods and services related to motoring, as measured by the motor vehicle price index, were 6.7 percent higher in March 2026 than in the same month last year. As the Federal Statistical Office further announced on Monday, this year-on-year increase was well above average. By comparison, overall consumer prices rose by 2.7 percent over the same period. At the pump, motorists felt the clear impact of the conflict in the Middle East: fuel prices jumped by 20.0 percent in March compared to the previous year, with diesel up 29.7 percent, premium gasoline up 17.3 percent, and LPG up 1.1 percent.
Public transport fares also rose in March compared to the same month last year: passengers had to pay 6.2 percent more for combined bus and train tickets. This was primarily driven by the price hike for the "Deutschlandticket" in January 2026. Local rail travel became 5.3 percent more expensive over the year, while long-distance rail fares increased by 1.4 percent.
(Reporting by Reinhard Becker, edited by Elke Ahlswede. For inquiries, please contact our editorial office at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)
