Diesel price in 2021
How much did a litre of diesel cost in 2021?
In 2021, a litre of diesel cost on average €1.44 in mainland France, according to Insee's average retail prices.
What would this price be worth today?
Adjusted for inflation, the 2021 price is equivalent to €1.64 in 2025 euros, practically the 2025 average (€1.64).
In constant euros, 2021 ranks number 23 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 €10.31 in 2021, it took 8.4 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. 1% less working time.
Diesel prices month by month in 2021
In 2021, the average monthly price ranged from €1.31 (January) to €1.57 (November), a gap of €0.26 over the year.
| Month | Current price (€/L) |
|---|---|
| January | 1.31 |
| February | 1.36 |
| March | 1.40 |
| April | 1.39 |
| May | 1.40 |
| June | 1.43 |
| July | 1.45 |
| August | 1.45 |
| September | 1.46 |
| October | 1.56 |
| November | 1.57 |
| December | 1.54 |
Diesel prices from 2016 to 2026
| Year | Current price (€/L) | In 2025 euros (€/L) | Minutes of gross minimum wage per litre | Change over one year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.11 | 1.34 | 6.9 | -5.1 % |
| 2017 | 1.23 | 1.47 | 7.6 | +10.8 % |
| 2018 | 1.44 | 1.69 | 8.7 | +17.1 % |
| 2019 | 1.44 | 1.67 | 8.6 | 0.0 % |
| 2021 | 1.44 | 1.64 | 8.4 | — |
| 2022 | 1.86 | 2.01 | 10.3 | +29.2 % |
| 2023 | 1.82 | 1.87 | 9.5 | -2.2 % |
| 2024 | 1.71 | 1.73 | 8.8 | -6.0 % |
| 2025 | 1.64 | 1.64 | 8.3 | -4.1 % |
| 2026 (year to date) | 2.06 | 2.06 | 10.2 | +25.5 % |
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 2021
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.