Energy
Gasoline, all types, per gallon

The price of gasoline

A gallon of gasoline cost 63.1¢ in January 1978 and $4.63 in September 2026.

In Sep 2026 dollars it cost $3.40 in January 1978, so it is 36% more expensive now after inflation. The record is $5.15, in June 2022; the low was 62.9¢, in February 1978.

Download the data (CSV)See the BLS series
Jan 197863.1¢Sep 2026$4.63
$3.40

The Jan 1978 price in Sep 2026 dollars: what it cost then, in today’s money.

In one year
up 33.0%From $3.48 in Sep 2025
In ten years
up 104.1%From $2.27 in Sep 2016
Record high
$5.15June 2022
Record low
62.9¢February 1978

Gasoline, per gallon, every month since Jan 1978

Price at the timeIn Sep 2026 dollars
Gasoline, all types: monthly U.S. average price, Jan 1978 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 63.1¢ in January 1978 to $4.63 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $3.40 to $4.63. Record high $5.15 in June 2022.$0.00$2.00$4.00$6.00$8.00198020002020$5.15, 2022$4.63Gasoline, all types: monthly U.S. average price, Jan 1978 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 63.1¢ in January 1978 to $4.63 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $3.40 to $4.63. Record high $5.15 in June 2022.$0.00$1.00$2.00$3.00$4.00$5.00$6.00$7.0019801990200020102020Record $5.15, 2022$4.63Gasoline, all types: monthly U.S. average price, Jan 1978 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 63.1¢ in January 1978 to $4.63 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $3.40 to $4.63. Record high $5.15 in June 2022.$0.00$1.00$2.00$3.00$4.00$5.00$6.00$7.001980198519901995200020052010201520202025Record $5.15, 2022$4.63

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 APU00007471A (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.

Gasoline, all types: January prices in past decades compared with September 2026
MonthPrice thenIn today’s $Now vs thenAfter inflation
Jan 1980$1.11$4.81up 317.2%down 3.7%
Jan 1990$1.09$2.88up 324.9%up 60.6%
Jan 2000$1.36$2.71up 241.5%up 71.1%
Jan 2010$2.78$4.32up 66.6%up 7.2%
Jan 2020$2.63$3.44up 76.0%up 34.8%

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.

Gasoline, all types: yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
20269 of 12 months$4.12up 21.3%$3.10 Jan$4.79 May
202511 of 12 months$3.40down 5.1%$3.19 Dec$3.48 Sep
2024$3.58down 5.1%$3.28 Dec$3.91 Apr
2023$3.77down 10.0%$3.41 Dec$4.11 Sep
2022$4.19up 33.8%$3.46 Dec$5.15 Jun
2021$3.13up 39.8%$2.39 Jan$3.58 Nov
2020$2.24down 16.9%$1.95 Apr$2.63 Jan
2019$2.70down 3.4%$2.35 Jan$2.96 May
2018$2.79up 13.2%$2.48 Dec$2.97 Jun
2017$2.47up 12.0%$2.34 Jul$2.69 Sep
Every year back to 1978
Gasoline, all types: yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
2016$2.20down 12.2%$1.83 Feb$2.42 Jun
2015$2.51down 26.7%$2.13 Dec$2.89 Jul
2014$3.42down 4.4%$2.62 Dec$3.75 Jun
2013$3.58down 3.0%$3.31 Nov$3.79 Mar
2012$3.70up 3.3%$3.39 Dec$3.98 Apr
2011$3.58up 26.1%$3.14 Jan$3.98 May
2010$2.84up 18.1%$2.71 Feb$3.03 Dec
2009$2.40down 27.6%$1.84 Jan$2.71 Nov
2008$3.32up 16.4%$1.74 Dec$4.14 Jul
2007$2.85up 8.2%$2.32 Jan$3.18 May
2006$2.63up 12.7%$2.29 Nov$3.05 Jul
2005$2.34up 21.6%$1.87 Jan$2.97 Sep
2004$1.92up 17.4%$1.64 Jan$2.08 Jun
2003$1.64up 13.7%$1.54 Dec$1.79 Mar
2002$1.44down 5.9%$1.21 Jan$1.53 Oct
2001$1.53down 2.0%$1.20 Dec$1.81 May
2000$1.56up 28.0%$1.36 Jan$1.67 Jun
1999$1.22up 9.5%$1.01 Feb$1.35 Dec
1998$1.12down 13.6%$1.05 Dec$1.19 Jan
1997$1.29up 0.3%$1.24 Dec$1.33 Sep
1996$1.29up 6.9%$1.18 Feb$1.38 May
1995$1.21up 2.7%$1.16 Dec$1.28 Jun
1994$1.17up 0.1%$1.11 Jan$1.24 Aug
1993$1.17down 1.4%$1.14 Dec$1.19 Jun
1992$1.19down 0.6%$1.12 Feb$1.24 Jun
1991$1.20down 1.7%$1.14 Mar$1.30 Jan
1990$1.22up 14.8%$1.08 Mar$1.43 Nov
1989$1.06up 10.0%94.4¢ Jan$1.15 May
198896.4¢up 0.7%92.0¢ Mar$1.00 Aug
198795.7¢up 2.8%86.8¢ Jan$1.00 Aug
198693.1¢down 22.1%82.7¢ Nov$1.19 Jan
1985$1.20down 0.1%$1.13 Feb$1.23 Jun
1984$1.20down 2.2%$1.18 Dec$1.22 May
1983$1.22down 4.4%$1.14 Mar$1.27 Jul
1982$1.28down 5.3%$1.21 Apr$1.34 Jan
1981$1.35up 10.8%$1.27 Jan$1.39 Mar
1980$1.22up 38.5%$1.11 Jan$1.25 Jul
197988.2¢up 35.3%69.5¢ Jan$1.04 Dec
197865.2¢—62.9¢ Feb68.5¢ Dec

About this number

  • What this number is. The average price BLS records for “Gasoline, all types, 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 CSV584 rows: month, price, and price in Sep 2026 dollars

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