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.
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