Malawi has emerged as the African country with the highest petrol price, with a litre selling for $3.235, according to the latest data from GlobalPetrolPrices.
The data, covering petrol prices as of August 24, 2026, show wide disparities in pump prices across the continent, with Malawi’s price more than twice the global average of $1.53 per litre.
Rwanda ranked second at $1.999 per litre, followed by Zimbabwe at $1.930 and the Central African Republic at $1.868.
Seychelles, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde occupied the next three positions at $1.798, $1.779 and $1.774 per litre, respectively.
Uganda ranked eighth at $1.753, followed by Senegal at $1.752, while Morocco completed the top 10 at $1.645 per litre.
The top 10 African countries by petrol price are:
Malawi — $3.235/L
Rwanda — $1.999/L
Zimbabwe — $1.930/L
Central African Republic — $1.868/L
Seychelles — $1.798/L
Sierra Leone — $1.779/L
Cape Verde — $1.774/L
Uganda — $1.753/L
Senegal — $1.752/L
Morocco — $1.645/L
GlobalPetrolPrices describes the figures as retail pump prices, including taxes and fees, and says its country data are sourced from official sources, regulators, oil companies and major media organisations.
Nigeria among countries with lower petrol prices
Nigeria, despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, is far below the top 10 in the continental ranking.
GlobalPetrolPrices put Nigeria’s petrol price at $0.882 per litre, based on its August 17, 2026 data. This places Nigeria well below the continental leaders and below the global average.
The data show that producing crude oil does not automatically translate into low or high retail petrol prices. Pump prices are also influenced by factors including taxes, subsidies, exchange rates, domestic pricing policies and the cost of bringing refined products to consumers.
GlobalPetrolPrices notes that countries have access to broadly similar international petroleum markets but apply different taxes and subsidies, resulting in significant differences in retail fuel prices.
The gap is particularly striking between Malawi and Nigeria. At $3.235 per litre, petrol in Malawi costs about 3.7 times the Nigerian price of $0.882 per litre in the respective datasets.
However, comparing pump prices in US dollars alone does not determine which country’s fuel is most burdensome for consumers. Income levels, purchasing power and the amount of fuel households typically consume are also important measures of affordability.
The figures therefore raise a broader question for African economies: which country has the most expensive petrol when the price is measured against average income rather than simply converted into US dollars?
