Although gas prices have been slowly (and slightly) dropping, drivers across the U.S. have still been shocked by sticker prices at the pump, with the national average clocking in at $4.68 per gallon this morning, per AAA. The West Coast has seen particularly high prices, with California and Oregon hitting $6.09 and $5.40 per gallon, respectively.
But how do fuel prices in other countries compare?
If you think prices in the U.S. are high, The Washington Post‘s foreign correspondents are about to really shock you. Plus, they provide a look at what some governments are doing to intervene.
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France and Berlin boast some of the highest prices per gallon in the sample, at $8.11 and $7.46 per gallon, respectively. In France, drivers are eligible for a rebate covering less than 10% of the overall cost; in Germany, the government has reduced fuel taxes and increased funding for public transportation.
Gas prices in South Korea come in close behind those in France and Germany, at $6.33 per gallon. Despite the government’s reduction of the fuel tax, prices continue to rise.
In the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, where there’s been no government intervention amid soaring fuel prices, gas is $4.15 and $5.61 per gallon, respectively. In the United Arab Emirates, citizens who can afford to are increasingly turning to electric cars and rentals.
In Bogotá, Colombia, gas is currently just $2.17 per gallon, and is subsidized by the government. But that fund is now facing a deficit of approximately $3 billion, and the government has stated that it will have to raise gas prices by a few cents per month.
Related: Are Gas Prices Still Going Up? When Will Gas Prices Go Down?
The federal gas tax in the U.S. has been set at 18.4 cents a gallon since 1993. Last month, President Biden called on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for three months (through September) and is urging states to provide direct relief as well.
