A survey by GIZ, a German development company, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2010, found that Venezuela's gas price is the world's lowest at 2.3 cents/liter. Venezuela has a history of the government subsidizing up to 90 percent of the fuel price. Many Venezuelans consider this their birthright, according to the Guardian, meaning that governments will not change it. This has led to increased ownership of cars in Venezuela and increased traffic problems in the cities.
Kuwait is a member of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). The gasoline price in 2010 was found to be 23 cents/liter. Although not the lowest in the world, this is substantially lower than competitors in the west, with the Kuwaiti government subsidizing the price and the oil companies being state owned. The gas prices are kept low as a benefit to the nation's citizens. Also, Kuwait is a major oil exporter with substantial oil resources.
Saudi Arabia, also an OPEC member, has a gasoline price of 16 cents/liter, according to GIZ in 2010. A country with the world's largest oil resources, it is the largest exporter of oil in the world. The government provides a subsidy to keep oil prices low and the gasoline companies are government owned. The Saudi export price can affect oil prices around the globe.
Qatar was found to have a gas price of 19 cents/liter by GIZ. The nation is a member of OPEC and provides a low gas price as a benefit to the citizens through a government subsidy. Oil companies are state owned. Qatar also has its own oil and gas resources and is a major exporter to Europe.
According to the GIZ findings, in 2010, the price of gas in the U.S. was 76 cents/liter. The United Kingdom had a price of 192 cents/liter, with France boasting 194 cents/liter and Germany 190 cents/liter.
