Several African countries continue to rank among the world’s cheapest destinations for petrol, driven largely by fuel subsidies, government price controls, domestic refining capacity, and access to crude oil reserves.
As of January 2026, Libya maintains a commanding lead as the continent’s cheapest fuel market, with prices far below global averages, while Angola and Algeria complete the top three, according to data from Global Petrol Prices.
The figures reflect average national retail petrol prices across African countries and were last updated on January 26, 2026. Prices are quoted in US dollars per litre and converted into local currencies at prevailing exchange rates.
The rankings are compiled using data from Global Petrol Prices, a widely referenced database that tracks national average retail energy prices in more than 150 countries and over 250 cities worldwide. The platform updates its data weekly and covers petrol, diesel, electricity, and natural gas. While the data provides a useful benchmark, actual pump prices may vary by city, supplier, and distribution costs within each country.
Below are the top 10 African countries with the cheapest petrol prices per litre as of January 2026:
Petrol in Egypt costs around $0.45 per litre, or approximately EGP 21.00. Since 2016, the country has gradually reformed its fuel subsidy system under an IMF-backed programme, implementing periodic price adjustments to better reflect global market conditions and reduce fiscal pressures. Despite these reforms, Egypt’s fuel prices remain relatively low by regional and international standards.
In October 2025, the government announced another round of fuel price increases, as published in the country’s official gazette. This marked the second adjustment within the year, reflecting ongoing policies to scale back subsidies and ease the national budget deficit.
The October hike ranged from 10.5% to 12.9% across a broad spectrum of petroleum products, following an earlier increase of nearly 15% in April 2025.
These periodic adjustments are part of a broader strategy to align domestic fuel prices with international costs while gradually reducing the financial burden of subsidies on the government.
