Energy
Diesel fuel, per gallon

The price of diesel

A gallon of diesel cost $1.25 in January 1998 and $6.33 in September 2026.

In Sep 2026 dollars it cost $2.61 in January 1998, so it is 143% more expensive now after inflation. This is its highest monthly price on record; the low was $1.09 in February 1999.

Download the data (CSV)See the BLS series
Jan 1998$1.25Sep 2026$6.33
$2.61

The Jan 1998 price in Sep 2026 dollars: what it cost then, in today’s money.

In one year
up 69.7%From $3.73 in Sep 2025
In ten years
up 167.1%From $2.37 in Sep 2016
Record high
$6.33September 2026
Record low
$1.09February 1999

Diesel, per gallon, every month since Jan 1998

Price at the timeIn Sep 2026 dollars
Diesel fuel: monthly U.S. average price, Jan 1998 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from $1.25 in January 1998 to $6.33 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $2.61 to $6.33. Record high $6.33 in September 2026.$0.00$2.00$4.00$6.00$8.00200020102020$6.33Diesel fuel: monthly U.S. average price, Jan 1998 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from $1.25 in January 1998 to $6.33 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $2.61 to $6.33. Record high $6.33 in September 2026.$0.00$1.00$2.00$3.00$4.00$5.00$6.00$7.00$8.00200020052010201520202025$6.33Diesel fuel: monthly U.S. average price, Jan 1998 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from $1.25 in January 1998 to $6.33 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $2.61 to $6.33. Record high $6.33 in September 2026.$0.00$1.00$2.00$3.00$4.00$5.00$6.00$7.00$8.00200020052010201520202025$6.33

Solid line, yellow area: the average price in each month, in the dollars of that month. Dashed blue line: the same price restated in Sep 2026 dollars using the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U). Where the dashed line falls, the item got cheaper compared with everything else. Months with no published price are left as gaps when they are long, and bridged when they are a single month. Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read any month.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average price series APU000074717 (U.S. city average); CPI-U CUUR0000SA0.

A January in every decade

“Now vs then” is the plain change on the shelf. “After inflation” compares the old price in Sep 2026 dollars with today’s: negative means it takes less of today’s money than it did.

Diesel fuel: January prices in past decades compared with September 2026
MonthPrice thenIn today’s $Now vs thenAfter inflation
Jan 2000$1.39$2.78up 354.8%up 127.8%
Jan 2010$2.90$4.51up 118.2%up 40.3%
Jan 2020$3.08$4.02up 105.7%up 57.5%

Year by year

Averages of the monthly prices in each calendar year, newest first. Years with fewer than nine published months are left out; partial years are marked.

Diesel fuel: yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
20269 of 12 months$5.12up 39.0%$3.61 Jan$6.33 Sep
202511 of 12 months$3.68down 3.9%$3.54 May$3.91 Nov
2024$3.83down 11.4%$3.52 Dec$4.08 Mar
2023$4.32down 13.8%$3.91 Jul$4.68 Jan
2022$5.01up 53.8%$3.67 Jan$5.76 Jun
2021$3.26up 24.2%$2.66 Jan$3.69 Nov
2020$2.62down 14.7%$2.44 Nov$3.08 Jan
2019$3.07down 2.7%$2.98 Feb$3.19 May
2018$3.16up 20.3%$2.96 Jan$3.33 Oct
2017$2.63up 14.6%$2.48 Jul$2.89 Dec
Every year back to 1998
Diesel fuel: yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
2016$2.29down 16.5%$2.04 Feb$2.46 Dec
2015$2.74down 28.2%$2.38 Dec$2.96 Jan
2014$3.82down 2.6%$3.41 Dec$3.99 Mar
2013$3.92down 1.9%$3.83 Nov$4.09 Feb
2012$4.00up 3.2%$3.75 Jul$4.17 Apr
2011$3.88up 28.5%$3.37 Jan$4.12 May
2010$3.02up 19.3%$2.85 Feb$3.27 Dec
2009$2.53down 35.4%$2.18 Mar$2.83 Nov
2008$3.91up 32.1%$2.58 Dec$4.79 Jul
2007$2.96up 5.4%$2.61 Feb$3.42 Dec
2006$2.81up 11.7%$2.60 Feb$3.10 Aug
2005$2.52up 31.2%$2.06 Jan$3.19 Oct
2004$1.92up 16.7%$1.66 Jan$2.25 Nov
2003$1.65up 15.4%$1.57 Jan$1.87 Mar
2002$1.43down 7.1%$1.29 Feb$1.53 Nov
2001$1.53down 2.7%$1.33 Dec$1.64 Jan
2000$1.58up 30.1%$1.39 Jan$1.70 Oct
1999$1.21up 3.3%$1.09 Feb$1.36 Dec
1998$1.17—$1.11 Dec$1.25 Jan

About this number

  • What this number is. The average price BLS records for “Automotive diesel fuel, per gallon/3.785 liters” across U.S. cities, collected for the Consumer Price Index. It is an average across many stores and brands, not a price at any one store.
  • No price for October 2025. BLS did not publish one: data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.
  • Today’s dollars. Prices are restated in Sep 2026 dollars by multiplying by CPI-U for Sep 2026 (336.94) and dividing by CPI-U for the month in question.

Sources

Download CSV344 rows: month, price, and price in Sep 2026 dollars

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