As news that the Chancellor may be looking for ways to claw back some of the tax lost through fuel-efficient cars and subsequent low-band road tax discs, it may be of interest to discover just how cheap petrol is in some countries.

1. Venzuela – 2p per litre

This figure is pretty astounding, but it comes at a cost. £13Bn to be exact. That’s how much the government subsidises fuel by – a figure that outstrips the country’s health and education budgets by some way.

2. Saudi Arabia – 8p per litre

The biggest exporter in the world is able to sell petrol to its people very cheaply. Only half the population can enjoy these prices, however, since women are not permitted to drive.

3. Libya – 9p per litre

This country has many problems right now, but expensive petrol isn’t one of them. It’s the 9th biggest producer when all fields are producing their maximum number of barrels.

4. Turkmenistan – 12p a litre

While only at number 4 on the list, residents of Turkmenistan do get a 120 litres of gas from the state – absolutely free – before they have to shell out 12p a litre.

5. Bahrain – 13p per litre

This country is actually running low on oil compared to its neighbours, but its refining industry brings in a great deal of cash. This means the government has a decent surplus to keep petrol prices low.

While it’s hard to see other countries enjoy such cheap petrol, don’t forget there’s one thing UK drivers have that these oil rich states don’t – first class annual breakdown cover from startrescue.co.uk!