Iran: 16% Decline in Gasoline Consumption

EghtesadOnline: Gasoline consumption in the eighth fiscal month that ended on December 22 was 75 million liters per day, data released by the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company show.

News ID: ۷۴۹۲۸۰

25 December 2019

This is a 16% decline compared to the same month last year (90 ml/d), ISNA reported.

Referring to provinces in which consumption reduced the most, NIOPDC said following the government decision to raise gasoline prices and sell it at two rates from November 15, fuel use in Yazd Province plummeted by 20%.

Prior to the implementation of the controversial plan (between March 22 and Nov 14), motorists in Yazd used  1.7 million liters of gasoline every day. Since mid-November, average consumption has plunged to 1.4 ml/d, according to Financial Tribune.

The same downward pattern was seen in Markazi Province and Tehran.

This is the first time since 2007 (when fuel quotas were introduced for the second time) that gasoline consumption has dropped by a solid 20%.

Fuel quotas (60 liters per car per month) were first introduced in 1981 one year after the start of the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war and again in 2007 when consumption fell by 25 million liters in six months.

As per a NIOPDC directive (issued Nov. 15) private car owners can only buy 60 liters of subsidized gasoline every month with a fuel card at 15,000 rials (13 cents) a liter, up 50%. Additional purchases (maximum 250 liters a month) cost 30,000 rials (26 cents) per liter, up 300%.

Diesel consumption in the period was 135 million liters per day, up 41% compared to last year.