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By Suzanne Blake
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As global fuel prices surge following the Middle East conflict and the near‑closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a growing number of governments are turning to fuel rationing and mandatory purchase limits to conserve supplies and prevent shortages.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oil, and the International Energy Agency has described the disruption as the largest supply shock in the history of the global oil market, with crude prices topping $100 a barrel.
Newsweek compiled a list of countries that have formally imposed fuel rationing or binding purchase limits.
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Why It Matters
Fuel rationing is a clear signal that the global energy shock triggered by the Middle East conflict has moved beyond price spikes and into physical supply stress, particularly for countries that depend heavily on imported oil.
The near‑closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted supply chains faster than strategic reserves and subsidies can compensate, pushing some governments to cap how much fuel consumers can buy rather than rely solely on market pricing.
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What To Know
Newsweek compiled a list of countries that have been enforcing fuel rationing amid the global supply crisis.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has reinstated nationwide fuel rationing using a QR‑code‑based National Fuel Pass, limiting how much petrol and diesel motorists can buy each week. The system sets tighter caps for private vehicles while allowing higher but still restricted allocations for essential services.
Myanmar
Myanmar has implemented an odd‑even license plate system that restricts fuel purchases on alternating days depending on vehicle registration numbers. The move follows the country’s acute diesel shortages and government‑controlled distribution aimed at stretching limited supplies.
Cambodia
Cambodia has effectively rationed fuel by shutting down roughly one‑third of petrol stations, according to DW. The closures function as a de facto cap on fuel access as authorities attempt to manage shortages without formally introducing per‑vehicle quotas.
Slovenia
Slovenia became the first European Union country to introduce formal fuel rationing during the current crisis.
Under the new government rules, private motorists are capped at 50 liters per purchase period and businesses and farmers are limited to 200 liters
Officials said the country has sufficient fuel stocks but faced serious distribution bottlenecks and hoarding, worsened by cross‑border fuel tourism driven by price caps.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh has imposed fuel rationing measures as part of broader emergency steps to manage limited reserves, according to AFP. While details vary by region and fuel type, the government has confirmed binding restrictions on fuel availability.
Indonesia
Indonesia announced mandatory fuel purchase limits alongside work‑from‑home rules for civil servants.
Private vehicles are limited to 50 liters per day, with exemptions for essential sectors such as healthcare and food supply. Officials said the measures are intended to conserve fuel subsidies strained by oil prices well above government budget assumptions.
Countries Using Emergency Energy Measures But Not Fuel Rationing
Several other countries have enacted subsidies or energy‑saving mandates, but have not imposed pump‑level fuel rationing.
The Philippines reduced transport services and emergency measures, but no fixed fuel quotas have been implemented. Meanwhile, in Egypt, there are limits on non‑essential government travel in effect.
And China has approved export bans and price controls, but not outright consumer rationing.
According to the IEA and AFP, the countries most affected are those that depend heavily on Middle Eastern oil and have limited strategic fuel reserves.
What People Are Saying
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob previously said in a statement: “Let me reassure you that there is enough fuel in Slovenia, the warehouses are full and there will be no fuel shortages.”
Airlangga Hartarto, the coordinating minister of economic affairs for Indonesia, said: "To ensure fuel distribution, the government will regulate purchases... with a reasonable limit of 50 litres per vehicle.”
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said last month: “The war in the Middle East is creating a major energy crisis, including the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.”
What Happens Next
With the Strait of Hormuz still disrupted and demand proving hard to curb, additional countries could escalate from price caps and subsidies to full rationing if supply conditions worsen.
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