Diesel price in 1995
How much did a litre of diesel cost in 1995?
In 1995, a litre of diesel cost on average €0.59 in mainland France, according to Insee's average retail prices. Before the switch to the euro, that was about 3.87 francs (at the fixed rate of 6.55957 F per €1).
What would this price be worth today?
Adjusted for inflation, the 1995 price is equivalent to €0.95 in 2025 euros. With the 2025 average at €1.64, a litre of diesel is 73% more expensive than in 1995 in constant euros.
In constant euros, 1995 ranks number 3 out of 33 among the cheapest years for a litre of diesel between 1992 and 2025.
A litre in working time
With an average gross hourly minimum wage of €5.53 in 1995, it took 6.4 minutes of work to pay for a litre of diesel. In 2025, with a minimum wage of €11.88, the same litre represents 8.3 minutes, i.e. 29% more working time.
Trend around 1995
Compared with 1994 (€0.60), the price fell by 1.7%, while consumer prices changed by +1.8% over the same period.
Diesel prices month by month in 1995
In 1995, the average monthly price ranged from €0.59 (January) to €0.60 (September), a gap of €0.01 over the year.
| Month | Current price (€/L) |
|---|---|
| January | 0.59 |
| February | 0.59 |
| March | 0.59 |
| April | 0.59 |
| May | 0.59 |
| June | 0.59 |
| July | 0.59 |
| August | 0.59 |
| September | 0.60 |
| October | 0.60 |
| November | 0.60 |
| December | 0.60 |
Diesel prices from 1992 to 2000
| Year | Current price (€/L) | In 2025 euros (€/L) | Minutes of gross minimum wage per litre | Change over one year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 0.54 | 0.92 | 6.3 | — |
| 1993 | 0.56 | 0.93 | 6.4 | +3.7 % |
| 1994 | 0.60 | 0.98 | 6.7 | +7.1 % |
| 1995 | 0.59 | 0.95 | 6.4 | -1.7 % |
| 1996 | 0.66 | 1.04 | 6.9 | +11.9 % |
| 1997 | 0.68 | 1.06 | 6.9 | +3.0 % |
| 1998 | 0.65 | 1.01 | 6.4 | -4.4 % |
| 1999 | 0.69 | 1.06 | 6.7 | +6.2 % |
| 2000 | 0.85 | 1.29 | 8.1 | +23.2 % |
How to read these figures
Current price: the average pump price in the year concerned. Constant euros: the same price converted into 2025 euros using Insee's consumer price index (all households). Minutes of minimum wage: the price per litre divided by the average gross hourly minimum wage (SMIC) of the year, times 60.
Other fuels in 1995
Sources and method
Average monthly retail prices in mainland France: Insee, series 000442588; the annual average is computed over the twelve months. Consumer price index (base 2015, all households) and gross hourly minimum wage: Insee, macroeconomic database. Day-by-day current prices are in our fuel price history.