Petrol sales down 5% and diesel 11% in September as pump price nears Rs 390

Pakistanis bought 5% less petrol in September 2026 than a year earlier, and 11% less diesel, as pump prices climbed towards Rs 390 a litre. Total petroleum product sales fell 2% year on year to 1.35 million tonnes, according to Topline Securities figures reported by Business Recorder on Friday. Without furnace oil, sales were down 8%.

September 2026 petroleum sales at a glance

The 601% jump in furnace oil comes from a very low base: about 13,000 tonnes were sold in September 2025. Strip it out and the picture for ordinary road fuel is a clear fall.

Why petrol sales are falling

The petrol price has run from the low Rs 200s to Rs 390.66 a litre (PSO's ex-depot Karachi price on 2 October, on our petrol price page) on the back of the Gulf shipping disruption and a petroleum levy above Rs 100 a litre. Higher prices mean fewer litres bought, and the September numbers are the first full month at these levels.

Diesel rose 25% on August but is still 11% below last September. Today's diesel rate is on our diesel price page.

The government's Rs 100 a litre fuel relief for bikes, rickshaws and small cars, which 7.5 million people have used since 15 September (fuel relief scheme), cushions the poorest riders but is capped at 20 to 30 litres a month, so it does not reverse the trend.

Who sold what

• Pakistan State Oil: 639,000 tonnes, up 12% year on year and 12% on August, taking a bigger share of a smaller market.
• Attock Petroleum: 116,000 tonnes, flat on last year.
• Wafi Energy (formerly Shell Pakistan): 110,000 tonnes, down 6%.
• Hascol: 37,000 tonnes, down 14%.

For the first quarter of the 2026-27 fiscal year (July to September), total sales were 4.12 million tonnes, up 6%, but flat at 3.85 million tonnes once furnace oil is excluded.

What it means for you

Less fuel sold means less petroleum levy collected, which is the government's biggest non-tax revenue line, so watch the next fortnightly price reviews this month for any change in the levy. To see what your own driving costs at today's price, use our fuel cost calculator.