Why Diesel Prices Are So Much Higher Than Gasoline

What happened: Diesel has generally cost more than gasoline since 2004, and the premium has widened again in 2026 amid global refinery disruptions, export restrictions, and low inventories. Key numbers: Diesel premium began around September 2004; federal diesel tax is six cents per gallon higher than gasoline; record gasoline-diesel spread in 2022. Why it matters: EIA attributes tight global distillate supplies to reduced refining activity in Russia, China, and the Middle East. Strong US crude output cannot fully offset global diesel shortages.

Diesel has generally cost more than gasoline since 2004, and the premium has widened again in 2026 amid global refinery disruptions, export restrictions, and low inventories.

EIA attributes tight global distillate supplies to reduced refining activity in Russia, China, and the Middle East. Strong US crude output cannot fully offset global diesel shortages.