Petrol tax

Most countries tax petrol, but the extent to which they do so varies enormously. According to the OECD, America's gasoline taxes are among the lowest in the developed world. Germans pay an average of $3.25 in taxes on a gallon of petrol, among the highest for the OECD's mostly rich members. Citizens of other European countries such as Finland, France and Norway (not shown) also fork out more than $3 per gallon in tax. But America's gasoline taxes average a mere $0.39. America's reluctance to tax petrol heavily helps to explain why Americans drive much more than Europeans (though the country's size is a factor too), and why they love gas-guzzlers. Mexico is the only OECD country that subsidises petrol.

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