In brief

• In Slovakia, Euro 95 petrol fell 6.5 cents in week 43, to €1.820 per litre.
• Diesel rose 1.8 cents, to €1.970, and is approaching two euros.
• According to the latest data, in week 44 petrol already cost €1.785 and diesel €1.979.

Petrol gets cheaper after the October increase

Euro 95 petrol cost an average of €1.820 per litre in Slovakia, which is 6.5 cents less than a week earlier (Slováci by mohli za tankovanie platiť menej: Nádej na lacnejšie palivá prináša pokles cien ropy – STVR) (Ceny palív: Nafta sa znovu blíži k rekordu, benzín zlacnel (+ grafy) – Aktuality.sk). Premium petrol fell more sharply, by 6.8 cents, to €2.021 per litre. The country's statistical office reported that petrol prices had returned to the level of six weeks earlier.

Newer data from the Statistical Office of the SR, published on Friday, show a further decline. In week 44, Euro 95 petrol cost an average of €1.785 per litre, 3.5 cents less than a week earlier, and premium petrol €1.984, 3.7 cents cheaper (Benzín na Slovensku zlacnel pod 1,80 eura za liter, nafta pokračovala v zdražovaní – HNonline.sk).

Diesel is rising and approaching two euros

Diesel rose 1.8 cents in week 43, to €1.970 per litre. Premium diesel cost €2.176, also 1.8 cents more. XTB analyst Ondrej Greguš pointed out that at petrol stations diesel prices rose over the last week, even though wholesale prices fell (Benzín výrazne zlacnel, nafta sa blíži k dvom eurám. Čo bude nasledovať? – Pravda.sk). According to the statistical office, in week 44 diesel rose a further 0.9 cents, to €1.979 per litre.

Prices compared

• Euro 95 petrol: €1.820 per litre in week 43, versus €1.885 a week earlier
• Euro 95 petrol: €1.785 per litre in week 44
• Diesel: €1.970 per litre in week 43, after a rise of 1.8 cents
• Diesel: €1.979 per litre in week 44

Outlook for the coming week

Greguš expected a slight drop in prices in the coming week, from a level of about €1.95 per litre. On the oil market, a barrel fell by four dollars over the week, but still far exceeds its long-term average. The decline is supported by the recovery of Russian refining capacity and the resumed exports of oil from the Persian Gulf region, while transport remains a constraint. Declines at petrol stations appear with a delay relative to the wholesale market.

Direction of price changes

Since the beginning of the year, fuel prices have changed on average by 2.9 cents per litre from week to week. In week 43, the change in petrol prices exceeded this average, while the change in diesel prices remained below it. After the October increase, both fuels therefore moved in opposite directions.