Top 10 Indian states in petrol consumption: UP beats Maharashtra for top spot; check Delhi’s rank

Maharashtra stood second with around 4,370.5 thousand metric tonnes of petrol consumption. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Gujarat were also among the top five states with the highest petrol sales. The rankings suggest that fuel demand is now expanding beyond the traditionally industrialised western region, with populous states witnessing rapid growth in vehicle ownership and road usage.

Population size continues to play a major role in fuel demand, but the data also points towards increasing urbanisation, better incomes, and higher vehicle penetration across many parts of the country. Uttar Pradesh’s leading position reflects several converging factors, including its large population, improving road network, rising two-wheeler ownership, and greater movement between cities.

Maharashtra still remains one of India’s biggest fuel-consuming states because of the large number of private vehicles in cities like Mumbai and Pune, along with strong business and commercial activity. Meanwhile, southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also showed high petrol consumption levels, indicating strong urban transport demand and industrial growth.

The PPAC report also separately tracks high-speed diesel (HSD), which is mainly used in trucks, buses, farming equipment and industrial transportation. Diesel consumption is generally linked more closely to freight movement, logistics operations, and agricultural activity. Uttar Pradesh once again featured among the top diesel-consuming states, while Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat also reported high diesel sales figures. Unlike petrol, diesel demand is influenced more by commercial transportation and supply-chain operations.

Smaller states and Union Territories, including Goa, Sikkim, Mizoram, and Nagaland, reported much lower overall petrol sales compared to larger states. However, lower total consumption does not always mean fewer vehicles per person. Goa, for example, has a relatively small population, which keeps total fuel sales lower, but it is often seen as a state with high vehicle ownership on a per-person basis. The PPAC figures measure total fuel sales volume and not per capita fuel usage.

The data also highlights how sharply fuel demand has grown over the last 15 years. Since 2008-09, many states have recorded multiple-fold increases in petrol sales due to rising incomes and easier access to personal transportation. Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana were among the states that witnessed especially strong growth during this period.

Top 10 Indian states in petrol consumption