U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Program

Fact #492: October 22, 2007
Gasoline Taxes in the U.S. and Selected Countries

In 1997, taxes accounted for about one quarter of the price of gasoline in the U.S., but with the rise in the cost of gasoline and no increase in gasoline tax, that share dropped to 13% by 2007. In the other European countries shown here, taxes were about two-thirds of the price of gasoline in 2007.

Gasoline Price: Taxes and Cost
Graph showing the cost and tax of a gallon of gasoline in the United States and six European countries in 1997, 2002, and 2007. For more detailed information, see the table below.

Supporting Information

Gasoline Taxes and Cost, 1997, 2002, and 2007
  Belgium France Germany Italy Netherlands United
Kingdom		 United
States
  1997
Gasoline Cost 1.11 0.84 1.05 1.10 1.15 0.90 1.01
Gasoline Taxes 2.61 2.77 2.48 2.65 2.62 2.90 0.38
Total Gasoline Price 3.72 3.61 3.53 3.75 3.77 3.80 1.39
% Tax 70% 77% 70% 71% 69% 76% 27%
  2002
Gasoline Cost 1.24 1.08 1.16 1.30 1.35 1.05 1.22
Gasoline Taxes 2.55 2.85 2.89 2.69 3.05 3.38 0.38
Total Gasoline Price 3.79 3.93 4.05 3.99 4.39 4.43 1.60
% Tax 67% 72% 71% 67% 69% 76% 24%
  2007
Gasoline Cost 2.81 2.51 2.65 2.83 3.04 2.48 2.65
Gasoline Taxes 4.41 4.33 4.66 4.17 4.80 4.78 0.38
Total Gasoline Price 7.22 6.85 7.31 7.00 7.84 7.26 3.03
% Tax 61% 63% 64% 60% 61% 66% 13%

Source: European Commission, Oil Bulletin, and U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report, October 2007, Table 16.

 

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