War

Fuel, war in the Middle East is a sting for Italians: spent 16.5 million more per day

According to Codacons, from 27 February to 14 March, diesel rose by 18.5 per cent and petrol by 9.1 per cent, resulting in a total increase of EUR 16.5 million per day for consumers. The state is reportedly collecting an extra 9.5 million euros per day

by Rome Editorial Staff

14 March 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Fuel prices, how much the conflict weighs on households
More expensive fuels, state revenues also rise
Inflation, risk of a new wave of price increases

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The war in the Middle East is already making itself felt on the wallets of Italians. The first front, once again, is that of fuels: refuelling costs more and the overall bill, every day, gets heavier.

Launching the alarm is Codacons, which has drawn up a study on the effect of the international crisis on prices at the pump. The hardest data concerns diesel: from 27 February to 14 March, diesel fuel recorded an increase of 18.5%, equal to 32.2 cents more per litre. Translated into concrete terms, this means about 16 euro more for a full tank.

Smaller, but still significant, was the rise in petrol prices. In the same time span, the average price rose by 9.1 per cent, an increase of 15.3 cents per litre. For motorists, the result is an increased expenditure of approximately 7.6 euro per filling up.

How much conflict weighs on families

The final effect is a real daily haemorrhage. Considering daily fuel sales on the ordinary network, between roads and motorways, Italians are spending EUR 16.5 million more per day than before the crisis.

L’effetto guerra sui conti delle famiglie, la carta docente 2026 e il calo dei professionisti

The reason is simple: volumes remain very high. Every day, around 40.1 million litres of diesel and 23.9 million litres of petrol are purchased on the ordinary network. In total, over 64 million litres per day. Therefore, an increase of only a few cents is enough to turn the price increase into a national sting.

State revenues also increase

Then there is another effect, less visible but just as relevant: with rising prices, the tax revenues also grow. According to Codacons, since VAT and excise duties account for about 58 per cent of the final price of petrol and diesel, the state is reportedly collecting EUR 9.5 million more per day than at the end of February thanks to price increases at the pump.

In other words, while households and businesses foot the bill for international instability, the public purse benefits from rising prices.

The risk of a new wave of price increases

The issue, however, is not just about petrol and diesel. The real danger is the domino effect on the whole economy. According to Codacons, if the crisis in the Middle East were to push Italian inflation up to 2%, the annual expenditure of a typical family would rise by 661 euro, with unchanged consumption. On a national scale, the overall impact would reach 17 billion euro.

Il gas (salato) e i prezzi dell’elettricità

The worst-case scenario is even more severe. With inflation at 5 per cent, the additional expenditure per household would reach EUR 1,653 per year. For the community, this would mean a maxi-sting of EUR 42.6 billion.

The picture taken by Codacons is clear: the crisis in the Middle East does not remain confined to international markets, but reaches distributors directly, enters domestic budgets and risks spreading to the entire consumer chain.