Disclaimer: Data was obtained from the sources named in this article and is the latest available data as of February 2021. Auto & General Services Pty Ltd does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the data and accepts no liability whatsoever arising from or connected in any way to the use or reliance upon this data.
Quick Stats
- The average rate of fuel consumption of vehicles in Australia was 7.5 km per litre of petrol (or 13.4 L per 100 km)
- Petrol was the most commonly used type of fuel at 51.4%
- Australia consumed a total of 34,170 megalitres of fuel in 2018.
Average fuel consumption by type of vehicle
| Vehicle Type | Litres per 100kms |
|---|---|
| Passenger vehicles | 11.1 |
| Motorcycles | 6.1 |
| Light commercial vehicles | 12.8 |
| Rigid trucks | 28.6 |
| Articulated trucks | 53.1 |
| Non-freight carrying trucks | 23.2 |
| Buses | 27.8 |
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics and BITRE, the average passenger vehicle had an average fuel consumption of 11.1 litres per 100 kilometres in 2020.
The average motorcycle had an average fuel consumption of 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres in 2020.
The average light commercial vehicle had an average fuel consumption of 12.5 litres per 100 kilometres in 2020.
The average rigid truck had an average fuel consumption of 28.6 litres per 100 kilometres.
The average articulated truck had an average fuel consumption of 53.1 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres in 2020.
The average non-freight carrying truck had an average fuel consumption of 21.3 litres per 100 kilometres in 2020.
The average bus had an average fuel consumption of 28.4 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres in 2020.
The average vehicle had an average fuel consumption of 27.8 litres per 100 kilometres in 2020.
Fuel consumption by type of fuel
| Fuel Type | Litres per 100kms |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 10.8L |
| Diesel | 18.4L |
| LPG/CNG/dual fuel/hybrid and other | 12.9L |
Petrol saw the lowest average litres consumed per 100 kilometres, making it the most efficient fuel in Australia in 2018. Diesel was the least efficient fuel in 2018 at 18.4 litres per 100 kilometres.
Total amount of fuel used in Australia by vehicle type
| Vehicle Type | Petrol in megalitres | Diesel in megalitres |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger vehicles | 14,578 | 3,658 |
| Freight carrying vehicles | 1,592 | 12,479 |
| Total | 16,170 | 16,211 |
Diesel was the most commonly used type of fuel in Australia during 2020. This was contrary to 2018 data, which found that petrol was still more commonly used across the nation. However, the difference between the two fuels was only 41 litres (about 0.1%), making the difference insignificant.
Total fuel consumed by vehicle
| Vehicle Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Passenger vehicles | 19,486 |
| Motorcycles | 128 |
| Light commercial vehicles | 6,537 |
| Rigid trucks | 2,939 |
| Articulated trucks | 4,369 |
| Non-freight carrying trucks | 66 |
| Buses | 644 |
| Average | 34,170 |
State comparison
New South Wales
| Fuel Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 5,487 |
| Diesel | 4,136 |
| Other | 160 |
| Total | 9,782 |
Number of registered vehicles in New South Wales in 2018 was 5,586,547. The average vehicle in New South Wales used 1,750 litres on average per year, or 4.8 litres a day. Petrol made up 56% of the total fuel used in New South Wales, diesel made up 42% and other fuels such as LPG/CNG/dual fuel and hybrid fuel made up the remaining 2%.
Victoria
| Fuel Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 4,534 |
| Diesel | 3,904 |
| Other | 427 |
| Total | 8,865 |
Number of registered vehicles in Victoria in 2018 was 4,839,222. The average vehicle in Victoria used 1,831 litres on average per year, or 5 litres a day. Petrol made up 51% of the total fuel used in the Victoria, diesel made up 44% and other fuels such as LPG/ CNG/dual fuel and hybrid fuel made up the remaining 5%.
Queensland
| Fuel Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 3,634 |
| Diesel | 3,791 |
| Other | 156 |
| Total | 7,581 |
Number of registered vehicles in Queensland in 2018 was 4,043,013. The average vehicle in Queensland used 1,875 litres on average per year, or 5 litres a day. Petrol made up 48% of the total fuel used in the Queensland, diesel made up 50% and other fuels such as LPG/CNG/dual fuel and hybrid fuel made up the remaining 2%.
South Australia
| Fuel Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,233 |
| Diesel | 1,029 |
| Other | 132 |
| Total | 2,394 |
Number of registered vehicles in South Australia in 2018 was 1,386,196. The average vehicle in South Australia used 1,725 litres on average per year, or 4.7 litres a day. Petrol made up 52% of the total fuel used in South Australia, diesel made up 43% and other fuels such as LPG/CNG/dual fuel and hybrid fuel made up the remaining 5%.
Western Australia
| Fuel Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,813 |
| Diesel | 2,167 |
| Other | 68 |
| Total | 4,048 |
Number of registered vehicles in Western Australia in 2018 was 2,215,147. The average vehicle in Western Australia used 1,827 litres on average per year, or 5 litres per day. Petrol made up 45% of the total fuel used in Western Australia, diesel made up 54% and other fuels such as LPG/CNG/dual fuel and hybrid fuel made up the remaining 1%.
Tasmania
| Fuel Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 426 |
| Diesel | 314 |
| Other | 4 |
| Total | 744 |
The number of registered vehicles in Tasmania in 2018 was 474,951. The average vehicle in Tasmania used 1,566 litres on average per year, or 4.3 litres per day. Petrol made up 57% of the total fuel used in Tasmania, diesel made up 42% and other fuels such as LPG/CNG/dual fuel and hybrid fuel made up the remaining 1%.
Northern Territory
| Fuel Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 127 |
| Diesel | 197 |
| Other | 1 |
| Total | 325 |
The number of registered vehicles in Northern Territory in 2018 was 163,237. The average vehicle in the Northern Territory used 19,990 litres on average per year, or 5.5 litres per day. Petrol made up only 39% of the total fuel used in the Northern Territory, diesel made up 61% and other fuels such as LPG/CNG/dual fuel and hybrid fuel made up less than 1%.
Australian Capital Territory
| Fuel Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 294 |
| Diesel | 128 |
| Other | 9 |
| Total | 431 |
The number of registered vehicles in the Australian Capital Territory in 2018 was 304,455. The average vehicle in the Australian Capital Territory used 1,415 litres on average per year, or 3.8 litres per day. Petrol made up 68% of the total fuel used in the Australian Capital Territory, diesel made up 30% and other fuels such as LPG/CNG/ dual fuel and hybrid fuel made up the remaining 2%.
Total fuel consumption
| Fuel Type | Total fuel in megalitres |
|---|---|
| Petrol | 17,548 |
| Diesel | 15,665 |
| Other | 957 |
| Total | 34,170 |
Historical Comparison
Litres per 100 kilometres
| 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger vehicles | 11.3 | 11.1 | 10.7 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 11.1 |
| Motorcycles | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 6.1 |
| Light commercial vehicles | 13 | 12.6 | 12.1 | 12 | 12.5 | 12.8 |
| Rigid trucks | 28 | 28.7 | 28.4 | 28 | 28.6 | 28.6 |
| Articulated trucks | 56.2 | 57.7 | 56.9 | 56.3 | 55.2 | 53.1 |
| Non-freight carrying trucks | 29 | 22.6 | 22 | 25.6 | 21.3 | 23.2 |
| Buses | 29.5 | 29 | 28.8 | 27.8 | 28.4 | 27.8 |
Passenger vehicles
From 2010 to 2016 there was a steady decrease in the average amount of litres consumed per 100 kilometres for passenger vehicles, however from 2016 to 2020 there was a slight increase by 0.5 litres per 100 kilometres.
Motorcycles
From 2010 to 2016 there was a steady decrease in the average amount of litres consumed per 100 kilometres for motorcycles, however from 2016 to 2020 there was a slight increase by 0.2 litres per 100 kilometres.
Light commercial vehicles
From 2010 to 2016 there was a steady decrease in the average amount of litres consumed per 100 kilometres for light commercial vehicles, however from 2016 to 2020 there was a slight increase by 0.5 litres per 100 kilometres.
Rigid trucks
From 2010 to 2012 there was an increase in the average amount of litres consumed per 100 kilometres for rigid trucks. From 2012 to 2016 there was a 0.7 litre decrease, but from 2016 to 2020 there was another increase by 0.6 litres per 100 kilometres.
Articulated trucks
From 2010 to 2012 there was a 1.5 litre increase in the average amount of litres consumed per 100 kilometres for articulated trucks, however from 2012 to 2018 there was a steady decrease of 2.5 litres per 100 kilometres. In 2020, this figure decreased by 2.1 litres per 100 kilometres.
Non-freight carrying trucks
From 2010 to 2014 there was a steady decrease in the average amount of litres consumed per 100 kilometres for non-freight carrying trucks, however from 2014 to 2016 there was an increase of 3.6 litres per 100 kilometres. From 2016 to 2018 there was another decrease of 4.3 litres per 100 kilometres, which was quickly met by a 1.9 litre-increase in 2020.
Buses
From 2010 to 2016 there was a steady decrease in the average amount of litres consumed per 100 kilometres for buses, however from 2016 to 2018 there was a slight increase by 0.8 litres per 100 kilometres. In 2020, this figure returned to 27.8 litres per 100 kilometres.
