Energy
Gasoline, premium unleaded, per gallon
The price of premium gas
A gallon of premium gas cost $1.47 in September 1981 and $5.43 in September 2026.
In Sep 2026 dollars it cost $5.32 in September 1981, so it is 2% more expensive now after inflation. The record is $5.77, in June 2022; the low was 98.0¢, in November 1986.
The Sep 1981 price in Sep 2026 dollars: what it cost then, in today’s money.
- In one year
- up 28.2%From $4.23 in Sep 2025
- In ten years
- up 102.3%From $2.68 in Sep 2016
- Record high
- $5.77June 2022
- Record low
- 98.0¢November 1986
Premium gas, per gallon, every month since Sep 1981
Price at the timeIn Sep 2026 dollarsSolid 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. Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read any month.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average price series APU000074716 (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.
| Month | Price then | In today’s $ | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1990 | $1.23 | $3.25 | up 341.1% | up 66.8% |
| Jan 2000 | $1.49 | $2.97 | up 265.1% | up 82.9% |
| Jan 2010 | $2.99 | $4.64 | up 81.7% | up 16.8% |
| Jan 2020 | $3.16 | $4.12 | up 71.9% | up 31.6% |
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.
| Year | Average | vs year before | Lowest month | Highest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20269 of 12 months | $4.90 | up 18.6% | $3.86 Jan | $5.55 May |
| 2025 | $4.13 | down 3.3% | $3.96 Dec | $4.23 Sep |
| 2024 | $4.27 | down 4.4% | $3.98 Dec | $4.60 Apr |
| 2023 | $4.47 | down 8.1% | $4.16 Dec | $4.84 Sep |
| 2022 | $4.86 | up 31.7% | $4.10 Jan | $5.77 Jun |
| 2021 | $3.69 | up 32.3% | $2.92 Jan | $4.15 Nov |
| 2020 | $2.79 | down 13.1% | $2.49 May | $3.16 Jan |
| 2019 | $3.21 | down 1.8% | $2.87 Jan | $3.47 May |
| 2018 | $3.27 | up 12.3% | $3.02 Dec | $3.44 Jun |
| 2017 | $2.91 | up 11.5% | $2.79 Feb | $3.12 Sep |
Every year back to 1982
| Year | Average | vs year before | Lowest month | Highest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $2.61 | down 8.9% | $2.25 Feb | $2.81 Jun |
| 2015 | $2.87 | down 22.8% | $2.50 Jan | $3.25 Jul |
| 2014 | $3.71 | down 3.4% | $2.94 Dec | $4.03 Jun |
| 2013 | $3.84 | down 2.0% | $3.58 Nov | $4.04 Mar |
| 2012 | $3.92 | up 3.4% | $3.63 Dec | $4.19 Apr |
| 2011 | $3.79 | up 24.5% | $3.35 Jan | $4.19 May |
| 2010 | $3.05 | up 16.9% | $2.92 Feb | $3.23 Dec |
| 2009 | $2.61 | down 25.9% | $2.04 Jan | $2.92 Nov |
| 2008 | $3.52 | up 16.0% | $1.95 Dec | $4.35 Jul |
| 2007 | $3.03 | up 8.1% | $2.50 Jan | $3.35 May |
| 2006 | $2.81 | up 12.6% | $2.46 Nov | $3.22 Jul |
| 2005 | $2.49 | up 20.5% | $2.02 Jan | $3.13 Sep |
| 2004 | $2.07 | up 16.4% | $1.78 Jan | $2.23 Jun |
| 2003 | $1.78 | up 14.2% | $1.67 Jan | $1.92 Mar |
| 2002 | $1.56 | down 6.1% | $1.32 Jan | $1.64 Oct |
| 2001 | $1.66 | down 2.1% | $1.31 Dec | $1.93 May |
| 2000 | $1.69 | up 24.8% | $1.49 Jan | $1.79 Jun |
| 1999 | $1.36 | up 8.5% | $1.16 Feb | $1.49 Dec |
| 1998 | $1.25 | down 11.7% | $1.19 Dec | $1.32 Jan |
| 1997 | $1.42 | up 0.2% | $1.36 Dec | $1.46 Sep |
| 1996 | $1.41 | up 5.8% | $1.31 Feb | $1.51 May |
| 1995 | $1.34 | up 2.4% | $1.29 Dec | $1.41 Jun |
| 1994 | $1.30 | up 0.2% | $1.24 Jan | $1.37 Aug |
| 1993 | $1.30 | down 1.0% | $1.27 Dec | $1.32 Oct |
| 1992 | $1.32 | down 0.4% | $1.25 Feb | $1.36 Jul |
| 1991 | $1.32 | down 2.0% | $1.26 Mar | $1.43 Jan |
| 1990 | $1.35 | up 12.7% | $1.22 Mar | $1.56 Nov |
| 1989 | $1.20 | up 8.1% | $1.09 Jan | $1.28 May |
| 1988 | $1.11 | up 1.3% | $1.07 Mar | $1.14 Aug |
| 1987 | $1.09 | up 0.8% | $1.01 Jan | $1.14 Aug |
| 1986 | $1.08 | down 19.0% | 98.0¢ Nov | $1.34 Jan |
| 1985 | $1.34 | down 1.9% | $1.29 Feb | $1.37 Jun |
| 1984 | $1.37 | down 1.2% | $1.35 Dec | $1.38 May |
| 1983 | $1.38 | down 2.3% | $1.31 Mar | $1.42 Jul |
| 1982 | $1.42 | — | $1.35 Apr | $1.47 Jan |
About this number
- What this number is. The average price BLS records for “Gasoline, unleaded premium, 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.
- 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
- BLS series APU000074716: Gasoline, unleaded premium, per gallon/3.785 litersU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. city average, monthly
- Average price data: what it is and how it is collectedU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Average price data filesdownload.bls.gov, files updated Oct 14, 2026
- up 34.2% from a year earlier Regular gasper gallon Oldest price, 197660.5¢September 2026: $4.48
- up 33.0% from a year earlier Gasolineper gallon Oldest price, 197863.1¢September 2026: $4.63
- up 30.4% from a year earlier Midgrade gasper gallon Oldest price, 1993$1.19September 2026: $4.96
- up 69.7% from a year earlier Dieselper gallon Oldest price, 1998$1.25September 2026: $6.33
- up 4.3% from a year earlier Electricityper kWh Oldest price, 19784.6¢September 2026: 19.6¢
- up 5.4% from a year earlier Natural gasper therm Oldest price, 197830.4¢September 2026: $1.70
- up 64.9% from a year earlier Heating oilper gallon Oldest price, 197853.3¢September 2026: $5.92