10 African Countries with the Highest Fuel Costs at the End of the Year
As 2025 draws to a close, fuel affordability has emerged as one of Africa’s most pressing economic challenges. Across several countries, the year was marked by severe fuel shortages, surging energy prices, and fragile supply chains, conditions that disrupted daily life and exposed the continent’s deep reliance on petroleum imports.
A convergence of global market volatility, domestic political instability, and aging infrastructure pushed energy systems in many African states to the brink. In some cases, the impact went far beyond higher transport costs, affecting national security, public services, education, and economic productivity.
One of the most alarming episodes unfolded in Mali, where fuel scarcity escalated into a nationwide emergency. In early September, al-Qaeda-linked armed groups imposed an embargo on petroleum supplies entering the landlocked country. Fuel convoys were attacked along major transport routes, including those leading to the capital, Bamako, triggering acute shortages.
By October, the situation had deteriorated so significantly that Italy issued a travel advisory, citing heightened security risks and the Malian government’s diminishing capacity to manage the crisis. Schools and public institutions across the country were forced to shut down as fuel supplies dwindled. In Bamako, shuttered filling stations compelled residents to trek long distances, wait hours for scarce motorbike taxis, or remain confined to their homes.
Elsewhere in West Africa, Ghana also experienced mounting pressure on its energy sector. In May, the Minister of Energy, John Jinapor, warned that the country had less than three days’ worth of liquid fuel to operate its thermal power plants. The narrow margin highlighted the fragility of Ghana’s electricity generation system and raised fears of widespread blackouts if supply disruptions persisted.
This warning came amid rising global fuel prices, which were already driving up the cost of electricity production. As a result, households and businesses faced increasing financial strain, further tightening economic conditions.
In the Horn of Africa, geopolitical tensions added another layer of complexity. A diplomatic rift between Sudan and the United Arab Emirates disrupted a critical oil supply corridor. Beginning in early August, the UAE suspended all cargo movements to and from Port Sudan, severely affecting the transport of South Sudanese crude oil refined in Fujairah, one of the world’s busiest petroleum hubs.
The disruption affected major commodities traders, including Vitol, and deepened economic instability in both Sudan and South Sudan, where government revenues and energy access depend heavily on uninterrupted oil flows.
Across the continent, these supply shocks translated into persistently high fuel prices. Throughout much of the year, the Central African Republic (CAR) recorded the most expensive fuel prices in Africa. Countries such as Zimbabwe, Malawi, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cameroon, Uganda, Morocco, and Kenya also consistently ranked among the costliest fuel markets.
According to GlobalPetrolPrices, the global average fuel price in December 2025 remained steady at $1.29 per liter, unchanged from the previous two months. However, fuel prices rose marginally in CAR, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Seychelles, Côte d’Ivoire, and Kenya, while Malawi, Senegal, and Zimbabwe recorded slight declines. Morocco replaced Uganda in the top ten rankings for the month.
African Countries with the Highest Fuel Prices (December 2025)
Rank. Country. Fuel Price(USD/Liters Global Rank
1. Malawi. $2.014. 12th
2. Central African Republic. $1.883. 23rd
3. Senegal. $1.650. 43rd
4. Zimbabwe. $1.560. 49th
5. Burkina Faso. $1.525. 51st
6. Cameroon. $1.507. 53rd
7. Morocco. $1.505. 54th
8. Seychelles. $1.477. 55th
9. Ivory Coast. $1.471. 56th
10. Kenya. $1.421. 64th
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As Africa heads into 2026, the data underscores a sobering reality: without stronger energy diversification, improved infrastructure, and greater regional cooperation, fuel price volatility will continue to pose a significant threat to economic stability and social welfare across the continent.
