Why is petrol more expensive in Europe than America?

[poiuytrewq0987]

I never really got why. Is it because European governments slap high taxes on petrol or?

[Canute]

For sure. In a socialist society like most European countries, people rely on each other, so I guess that if your other costs for living and what not are lower, something has to be more expensive. Or at least from an capitalist's perspective.

[The Lawspeaker]

For sure. In a socialist society like most European countries, people rely on each other, so I guess that if your other costs for living and what not are lower, something has to be more expensive. Or at least from an capitalist's perspective.

Not a single European state is socialist. They are all free-market countries that have a welfare state and in the case of some countries like France, the Scandinavian countries, Italy, Spain or Britain have a national healthcare service.

What we do have is a lot of taxes but unlike America our bridges don't collapse into the rivers because we use our tax money to maintain those bridges and motorways -- furthermore we are more dependent on Arab fuel because we don't have too much of it ourselves. We are also more densely populated then America making sure that there is more demand.

[Loki]

1) The US has vastly more crude oil reserves than Europe
2) European governments love to tax people to death

[Turkophagos]

Why is petrol more expensive in Europe than America?

Cause there's no Texas in Europe?


It'll be way cheaper when Russia joins the Union; or when we will join the Russian federation.

[The Lawspeaker]

Cause there's no Texas in Europe?


It'll be way cheaper when Russia joins the Union; or when we will join the Russian federation.

We have Norway. But Norway's reserves aren't big enough. It would get interesting if we would take a long look at the North Sea and see what we can find. It would get even more interesting if Russia would join our ranks.

[Groenewolf]

For sure. In a socialist society like most European countries, people rely on each other,

Contrary to America where people rely on the state, or bowl alone? In every society people rely on each other. We are a social specie after all. From the beginning people cooperated to achieve certain ends, including economics ones.

The reason why petrol is more expensive, is because it is taxed with the original rationale being that it will lead to lower petrol consumption.

[Groenewolf]

It would get even more interesting if Russia would join our ranks.

In all essence that would be more if we joined Russia's ranks.

[Loki]

Europe should definitely not alienate Russia. I think there is a will for Russia to move closer to Europe - we should take them up on that.

[Canute]

Cause there's no Texas in Europe?

And no Alaska. Natural beauty < cheaper petrol seems to be the case.