Kerosene
Average retail price
- Cheapest surveyed city
- ¥2,357 Tokorozawa
- Priciest surveyed city
- ¥2,897 Fukui
Retail price survey conducted by the Statistics Bureau of Japan. This is a survey average, not a shop price — actual prices vary by store. 総務省統計局 小売物価統計調査 · Surveyed items and specifications
Key facts
Kerosene costs ¥2,578 per 18 L in Japan as of August 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities, up 13.7% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for kerosene reads 174.1 (2020 = 100) in August 2026, up 15.5% year on year and up 48.3% over five years.
Kerosene sits in the utilities (fuel & water) group of Japan's CPI basket, with 680 monthly observations from January 1970 to August 2026. The series peaked at 174.1 in August 2026 and bottomed at 18.9 in January 1970; the latest reading is at its highest recorded level. Against ten years ago it is +132.1%.
Annual average index by year
| Year | Index | YoY % | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 97.2 | -22.6% | 12 |
| 2016 | 75.5 | -22.3% | 12 |
| 2017 | 93.6 | +24.0% | 12 |
| 2018 | 110.0 | +17.5% | 12 |
| 2019 | 110.0 | 0.0% | 12 |
| 2020 | 100.0 | -9.1% | 12 |
| 2021 | 114.4 | +14.4% | 12 |
| 2022 | 137.5 | +20.2% | 12 |
| 2023 | 139.0 | +1.1% | 12 |
| 2024 | 142.1 | +2.2% | 12 |
| 2025 | 151.7 | +6.8% | 12 |
| 2026 | 165.9 | +9.4% | 8 |
Average of the monthly index values in each year (2020 = 100). Blank months are excluded.
Average retail price by month
| 2026-08 | ¥2,578 |
|---|---|
| 2026-07 | ¥2,578 |
| 2026-06 | ¥2,570 |
| 2026-05 | ¥2,565 |
| 2026-04 | ¥2,551 |
| 2026-03 | ¥2,446 |
| 2026-02 | ¥2,227 |
| 2026-01 | ¥2,219 |
| 2025-12 | ¥2,239 |
| 2025-11 | ¥2,254 |
| 2025-10 | ¥2,266 |
| 2025-09 | ¥2,271 |
| 2025-08 | ¥2,267 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much does kerosene cost in Japan?
- ¥2,578 per 18 L, as of August 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
- Which Japanese city has the cheapest kerosene?
- Among the surveyed cities in August 2026, Tokorozawa was cheapest at ¥2,357 and Fukui the most expensive at ¥2,897.
- How much have kerosene prices changed in Japan over the past year?
- As of August 2026, +15.5% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
- How much have kerosene prices changed in Japan over the past five years?
- +48.3% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 174.1.
- When were kerosene prices in Japan at their highest?
- Right now. The latest month, August 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 174.1 — a record high since the series began.
- What is the difference between the index and the yen price?
- This page carries two kinds of number. The index (2020 = 100) measures percentage change over time and is not a yen amount; the yen figure is an actual average retail price from the government's retail price survey. Source: 総務省統計局 消費者物価指数 (e-Stat table 0003427113, nationwide, monthly).