Gas Prices Price History
1950–2025 · U.S. Energy Information Administration
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the United States, tracked annually from 1950 through 2025. Few prices hit American wallets as visibly as the number on the gas station sign. From the 27-cent fill-ups of the 1950s through the oil shocks of the 1970s, the post-9/11 surge, and the pandemic-era whiplash, gas prices capture decades of geopolitics, supply disruptions, and shifting demand in a single data point.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration1950–2025
Price in 1950
$0.27
Price in 2025
$3.22
Total Change
+1092.6%
Years Tracked
75
Gas Prices Over Time
1950Year Range2025
Compare to inflation: The chart above shows nominal (not inflation-adjusted) prices. Use the toggle to switch to inflation-adjusted values when available, or try the inflation calculator to convert any amount between years.
Key Insights
- Gas prices more than doubled between 2002 and 2008, driven by surging global demand and Middle East instability, peaking near $3.27 per gallon.
- Adjusted for inflation, gasoline was actually cheapest in the late 1990s — not the 1950s. A gallon in 1998 cost roughly $1.03, or about $1.97 in 2025 dollars.
- The 1973 Arab oil embargo quadrupled crude prices almost overnight and permanently ended the era of sub-40-cent gas in America.
- Pump prices swung wildly during 2020-2022: crashing below $1.80 during COVID lockdowns, then rocketing past $5.00 nationally by mid-2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Price (USD per gallon) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $0.27 | — |
| 1951 | $0.27 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | $0.27 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | $0.27 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | $0.29 | +7.4% |
| 1955 | $0.29 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | $0.30 | +3.4% |
| 1957 | $0.31 | +3.3% |
| 1958 | $0.30 | -3.2% |
| 1959 | $0.30 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | $0.31 | +3.3% |
| 1961 | $0.31 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | $0.31 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | $0.30 | -3.2% |
| 1964 | $0.30 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | $0.31 | +3.3% |
| 1966 | $0.32 | +3.2% |
| 1967 | $0.33 | +3.1% |
| 1968 | $0.34 | +3.0% |
| 1969 | $0.35 | +2.9% |
| 1970 | $0.36 | +2.9% |
| 1971 | $0.36 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | $0.36 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | $0.39 | +8.3% |
| 1974 | $0.53 | +35.9% |
| 1975 | $0.57 | +7.5% |
| 1976 | $0.59 | +3.5% |
| 1977 | $0.62 | +5.1% |
| 1978 | $0.63 | +1.6% |
| 1979 | $0.86 | +36.5% |
| 1980 | $1.19 | +38.4% |
| 1981 | $1.31 | +10.1% |
| 1982 | $1.22 | -6.9% |
| 1983 | $1.16 | -4.9% |
| 1984 | $1.13 | -2.6% |
| 1985 | $1.12 | -0.9% |
| 1986 | $0.86 | -23.2% |
| 1987 | $0.90 | +4.7% |
| 1988 | $0.90 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | $1.00 | +11.1% |
| 1990 | $1.15 | +15.0% |
| 1991 | $1.14 | -0.9% |
| 1992 | $1.13 | -0.9% |
| 1993 | $1.11 | -1.8% |
| 1994 | $1.11 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | $1.15 | +3.6% |
| 1996 | $1.23 | +7.0% |
| 1997 | $1.23 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | $1.03 | -16.3% |
| 1999 | $1.17 | +13.6% |
| 2000 | $1.51 | +29.1% |
| 2001 | $1.46 | -3.3% |
| 2002 | $1.36 | -6.8% |
| 2003 | $1.59 | +16.9% |
| 2004 | $1.88 | +18.2% |
| 2005 | $2.30 | +22.3% |
| 2006 | $2.59 | +12.6% |
| 2007 | $2.80 | +8.1% |
| 2008 | $3.27 | +16.8% |
| 2009 | $2.35 | -28.1% |
| 2010 | $2.79 | +18.7% |
| 2011 | $3.53 | +26.5% |
| 2012 | $3.64 | +3.1% |
| 2013 | $3.53 | -3.0% |
| 2014 | $3.37 | -4.5% |
| 2015 | $2.43 | -27.9% |
| 2016 | $2.14 | -11.9% |
| 2017 | $2.42 | +13.1% |
| 2018 | $2.72 | +12.4% |
| 2019 | $2.60 | -4.4% |
| 2020 | $2.17 | -16.5% |
| 2021 | $3.01 | +38.7% |
| 2022 | $3.97 | +31.9% |
| 2023 | $3.52 | -11.3% |
| 2024 | $3.31 | -6.0% |
| 2025 | $3.22 | -2.7% |
Year1950
Price (USD per gallon)$0.27
YoY Change—
Year1951
Price (USD per gallon)$0.27
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1952
Price (USD per gallon)$0.27
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1953
Price (USD per gallon)$0.27
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1954
Price (USD per gallon)$0.29
YoY Change+7.4%
Year1955
Price (USD per gallon)$0.29
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1956
Price (USD per gallon)$0.30
YoY Change+3.4%
Year1957
Price (USD per gallon)$0.31
YoY Change+3.3%
Year1958
Price (USD per gallon)$0.30
YoY Change-3.2%
Year1959
Price (USD per gallon)$0.30
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1960
Price (USD per gallon)$0.31
YoY Change+3.3%
Year1961
Price (USD per gallon)$0.31
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1962
Price (USD per gallon)$0.31
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1963
Price (USD per gallon)$0.30
YoY Change-3.2%
Year1964
Price (USD per gallon)$0.30
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1965
Price (USD per gallon)$0.31
YoY Change+3.3%
Year1966
Price (USD per gallon)$0.32
YoY Change+3.2%
Year1967
Price (USD per gallon)$0.33
YoY Change+3.1%
Year1968
Price (USD per gallon)$0.34
YoY Change+3.0%
Year1969
Price (USD per gallon)$0.35
YoY Change+2.9%
Year1970
Price (USD per gallon)$0.36
YoY Change+2.9%
Year1971
Price (USD per gallon)$0.36
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1972
Price (USD per gallon)$0.36
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1973
Price (USD per gallon)$0.39
YoY Change+8.3%
Year1974
Price (USD per gallon)$0.53
YoY Change+35.9%
Year1975
Price (USD per gallon)$0.57
YoY Change+7.5%
Year1976
Price (USD per gallon)$0.59
YoY Change+3.5%
Year1977
Price (USD per gallon)$0.62
YoY Change+5.1%
Year1978
Price (USD per gallon)$0.63
YoY Change+1.6%
Year1979
Price (USD per gallon)$0.86
YoY Change+36.5%
Year1980
Price (USD per gallon)$1.19
YoY Change+38.4%
Year1981
Price (USD per gallon)$1.31
YoY Change+10.1%
Year1982
Price (USD per gallon)$1.22
YoY Change-6.9%
Year1983
Price (USD per gallon)$1.16
YoY Change-4.9%
Year1984
Price (USD per gallon)$1.13
YoY Change-2.6%
Year1985
Price (USD per gallon)$1.12
YoY Change-0.9%
Year1986
Price (USD per gallon)$0.86
YoY Change-23.2%
Year1987
Price (USD per gallon)$0.90
YoY Change+4.7%
Year1988
Price (USD per gallon)$0.90
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1989
Price (USD per gallon)$1.00
YoY Change+11.1%
Year1990
Price (USD per gallon)$1.15
YoY Change+15.0%
Year1991
Price (USD per gallon)$1.14
YoY Change-0.9%
Year1992
Price (USD per gallon)$1.13
YoY Change-0.9%
Year1993
Price (USD per gallon)$1.11
YoY Change-1.8%
Year1994
Price (USD per gallon)$1.11
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1995
Price (USD per gallon)$1.15
YoY Change+3.6%
Year1996
Price (USD per gallon)$1.23
YoY Change+7.0%
Year1997
Price (USD per gallon)$1.23
YoY Change+0.0%
Year1998
Price (USD per gallon)$1.03
YoY Change-16.3%
Year1999
Price (USD per gallon)$1.17
YoY Change+13.6%
Year2000
Price (USD per gallon)$1.51
YoY Change+29.1%
Year2001
Price (USD per gallon)$1.46
YoY Change-3.3%
Year2002
Price (USD per gallon)$1.36
YoY Change-6.8%
Year2003
Price (USD per gallon)$1.59
YoY Change+16.9%
Year2004
Price (USD per gallon)$1.88
YoY Change+18.2%
Year2005
Price (USD per gallon)$2.30
YoY Change+22.3%
Year2006
Price (USD per gallon)$2.59
YoY Change+12.6%
Year2007
Price (USD per gallon)$2.80
YoY Change+8.1%
Year2008
Price (USD per gallon)$3.27
YoY Change+16.8%
Year2009
Price (USD per gallon)$2.35
YoY Change-28.1%
Year2010
Price (USD per gallon)$2.79
YoY Change+18.7%
Year2011
Price (USD per gallon)$3.53
YoY Change+26.5%
Year2012
Price (USD per gallon)$3.64
YoY Change+3.1%
Year2013
Price (USD per gallon)$3.53
YoY Change-3.0%
Year2014
Price (USD per gallon)$3.37
YoY Change-4.5%
Year2015
Price (USD per gallon)$2.43
YoY Change-27.9%
Year2016
Price (USD per gallon)$2.14
YoY Change-11.9%
Year2017
Price (USD per gallon)$2.42
YoY Change+13.1%
Year2018
Price (USD per gallon)$2.72
YoY Change+12.4%
Year2019
Price (USD per gallon)$2.60
YoY Change-4.4%
Year2020
Price (USD per gallon)$2.17
YoY Change-16.5%
Year2021
Price (USD per gallon)$3.01
YoY Change+38.7%
Year2022
Price (USD per gallon)$3.97
YoY Change+31.9%
Year2023
Price (USD per gallon)$3.52
YoY Change-11.3%
Year2024
Price (USD per gallon)$3.31
YoY Change-6.0%
Year2025
Price (USD per gallon)$3.22
YoY Change-2.7%
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Sources & Methodology
Annual average retail price per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline (or regular leaded prior to the mid-1970s transition). Prices are national averages compiled from EIA survey data of retail outlets. Figures before 1976 are estimated from American Petroleum Institute records and historical BLS data.
Primary source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
For a full explanation of how we collect and adjust data, see our methodology page.