As fuel prices surged worldwide following the escalation of the Middle East crisis in early 2026, many consumers have reconsidered how they get around. According to a Statista Consumer Insights survey conducted between April 2025 and late March 2026, among 750 to 8,600 online respondents aged 18 to 64 per country, rising fuel costs have prompted a significant share of people to switch to alternative forms of transportation.
As our chart shows, the impact seems particularly pronounced in Asian emerging markets, with 36 percent of online respondents in the Philippines and 32 percent in India saying higher fuel prices led them to change their transport habits. In Europe, the effect is also notable, particularly in Finland (30 percent) and Italy (26 percent). Shares are somewhat lower in North America and other European countries, with 20 percent in Canada and Germany, 18 percent in the United States and 17 percent in the United Kingdom
