In Mali the price of fuel is not just a number at the pump. It tells the story of a global crisis, a blockade, an escorted road and a stretched budget. Here are the official prices in force and what explains them.
Official prices
On 28 March 2026 the Malian Petroleum Products Office (OMAP) raised pump prices. As of 30 September 2026 no new grid had been published, as far as we know.
| Product | Official price | Before 28 March 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 940 CFA francs a litre | 725 CFA francs |
| Premium petrol | 875 CFA francs a litre | 775 CFA francs |
| Distillate diesel oil (DDO) | 940 CFA francs a litre | |
| Fuel oil 180 | 675 CFA francs a litre | |
| Butane, 2.75 kg cylinder | 3,245 CFA francs | |
| Butane, 6 kg cylinder | 7,075 CFA francs |
Jet A1 and lamp oil are freely priced. Butane is no longer subsidised: its price is based on 1,170 CFA francs per kilogram.
What pushed the price up
The purchase price. OMAP said the new prices were set on the basis of suppliers' March 2026 prices. On 28 February the strikes on Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had taken Brent from about 70 dollars to a peak of 126 dollars in March.
Diesel more than petrol. The shock did not hit every product equally. In Senegal the government noted in August that since the start of the crisis diesel had risen 69 percent on world markets and premium petrol 61 percent. In Mali the 28 March increase was 29 percent for diesel and 13 percent for petrol, which makes Mali the only country in the region where diesel costs more than petrol.
The road. Mali has no refinery and no access to the sea. Its fuel comes by road tanker from Dakar, Abidjan, Lomé or Conakry, and since September 2025 convoys have been attacked by JNIM. They travel under military escort, whose cost rose from 600,000 to 800,000 CFA francs per convoy.
Taxes. The price includes the domestic tax on petroleum products, customs duties and levies, including one for road maintenance. According to OMAP's head, the state cut these taxes by about 3 billion CFA francs a month; without that effort, pump prices would exceed 1,000 CFA francs a litre for every product.
The security stock. Since April 2026 an ordinance has created a national security stock of 45 days of consumption, funded by two parafiscal levies whose rates are set by decree.
Bamako and the rest of the country
The official price applies in Bamako. In central and northern Mali a litre sold for 1,250 to 2,500 CFA francs in April 2026, according to Mondafrique. Distance, insecurity and scarcity set the price there, and the informal market takes over when stations run dry.
For comparison, diesel costs 618 CFA francs in Niger, 750 in Burkina Faso and 755 in Senegal. Our country by country price table is updated at each revision.
Our reading
Fuel prices in Mali are first of all a matter of logistics and security. The product costs roughly the same for everyone in Dakar or Abidjan; what makes the difference is the 1,100 to 1,300 kilometres still to travel, and what they cost in escorts, idle trucks and lost tankers.
For a company operating in Mali the consequence is practical: securing supply is worth more than negotiating a few francs per litre. A buffer stock on site, a contract with a schedule and two possible corridors protect better than a good price of the day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of diesel in Mali today?
940 CFA francs a litre in Bamako, the official price set by OMAP since 28 March 2026. In central and northern Mali it sells for much more, 1,250 to 2,500 CFA francs according to April 2026 reports.
What is the price of petrol in Mali in 2026?
875 CFA francs a litre of premium petrol in Bamako since 28 March 2026, against 775 at the start of the year.
Why is diesel more expensive than petrol in Mali?
Because the 2026 crisis pushed diesel up faster than petrol on world markets, and the 28 March revision passed on a 29 percent increase for diesel against 13 percent for petrol.
How much does LPG cost in Mali?
3,245 CFA francs for a 2.75 kg cylinder and 7,075 CFA francs for a 6 kg cylinder since 28 March 2026, based on an unsubsidised price of 1,170 CFA francs per kilogram.
What we do
GraceRoad supplies sites in Mali from Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Togo and Benin, with GPS tracked trucks, fallback routes and a certificate of analysis for every batch. We also help size a buffer stock. Tell us your monthly consumption and delivery point.
Read next: shipping to Mali under blockade and fuel shortages in West Africa.
Sources: Bamada.net, March 2026 (OMAP grid at 28 March 2026, basis of supplier prices); Xinhua, 28 March 2026, and Mondafrique, 14 April 2026 (prices before and after, prices outside Bamako, taxes, escort costs); allAfrica, 1 April 2026 (3 billion CFA franc monthly tax effort according to OMAP's head); Togo First, 27 May 2026 (Brent after 28 February); Government of Senegal, reported by Sénégal Direct, August 2026 (diesel and premium petrol increases since the start of the crisis); Africanews, 27 October 2025 (JNIM blockade); Official Journal of Mali, 2026, no. 7 (national security stock).