EQUITY and GAS: how loudly purrs the tiger in your tank?

Nice data and graphical representation in this article ... but no purchasing power parity vibe ... still a good read, even if unrelative equity is the watchword.

Source: Foreign Policy ... "Prime Numbers: Pain at the Pump" by Gerhard Metschies
Drivers grumble about high gasoline prices all over the world. But with oil prices at record highs, many countries are saying goodbye to gas subsidies, making a trip to the filling station more expensive than ever.

Gasoline prices are based largely on the price of crude oil, but refining costs, distribution, and taxes also add to the tab. Some governments, such as Venezuela and Iran, pick up much of the bill through subsidies. But as the price of crude has risen, many countries have abandoned subsidies in favor of higher gas taxes. Indonesian motorists have perhaps been hit hardest: Gas prices there have increased a whopping 238 percent since 2000.
Countries that keep prices artificially low do so at the peril of their budgets’ bottom line. Iran’s subsidies cut into its total state spending by nearly 40 percent. On the flip side, gasoline taxation can help curb state deficits. South Korea’s high fuel taxes bring in 15 percent of the country’s spending