Europe’s average gas price has climbed to $7.15 per gallon, more than 70 percent above the average U.S. retail gasoline price and well above China’s national level of $5.50 per gallon, according to official figures. Meanwhile, European benchmark natural gas prices are up by 38 percent compared with one year ago, while U.S. natural gas prices are down significantly, almost 26 percent, according to the latest Bloomberg figures. However, the problem is not just expensive energy; it is a structural burden on households and businesses in two regions where average salaries are also significantly lower than in the United States. All this comes on top of much higher wage, corporate, indirect, and environmental taxes. And no, it is not compensated with radically better public services.
The fuel price display board for Diesel, Unleaded 95, 98, E85, and LPG at an E.Leclerc service station in Mazeres-Lezons, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, April 14, 2026. Quentin Top / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images
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