Fuel prices at petrol stations

What does the survey cover?

Purpose

This survey covers the weekly publication of the prices for motor fuels at petrol stations. Prices are shown in euros per litre of fuel per day.

Target population

Petrol: Euro95, diesel oil and LPG.

Statistical unit

Motor fuels.

Date/year survey started

The first statistics covering prices for motor fuels at petrol stations were published in 2010. However, data on recommended prices for motor fuels have been available from 1913 onwards.

Frequency

Weekly.

Publication strategy

The prices per day of motor fuels at petrol stations are published weekly on Thursdays. Monthly averages are published on the first Thursday of the month, not being the first two days of the month. If publication is not possible due to circumstances such as public holidays, they will be published on the next working day. The published prices are not subject to revision.

How is the survey conducted?

Survey type

The research is based on a daily sample of motor fuel prices at the majority of petrol stations in the Netherlands.

Survey method

This publication stems from data deliveries from Travelcard Nederland BV to Statistics Netherlands. These deliveries include all Travelcard Nederland BV customer transactions. The data includes the majority of petrol stations in the Netherlands.

Respondents

Travelcard Nederland BV.

Sample size

The registered transactions take place at approximately 3800 petrol stations in the Netherlands.

Checking and correction methods

Statistics Netherlands checks the completeness and plausibility of incoming data. If data are incomplete or implausible, Statistics Netherlands requests suppliers to provide additional information. In cases we receive no response, the data will be imputed (the necessary information is estimated on the basis of other observations).

Weighting

To determine the average prices, the petrol stations are classified according to a specific method per fuel type. Each group in this classification gets a fixed weight, which is based on different sources. The weights of the groups are adjusted annually.

Quality of the results

Accuracy

The accuracy of average fuel prices is guaranteed by the large number of transactions we use as input for our publications.

Sequential comparability

The data per fuel type is fully comparable over time.

Quality strategy

The data is always checked for internal consistency and completeness. Where necessary, action is taken to verify data.