Every year, gas prices continue to rise and therefore make owning a car that much more expensive. Those who were set back an average of $2.51 per gallon last year long for the $0.17 Americans paid 70 years ago.
Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), FindTheData found the average price of gas in every year since 1945.
The data is a combination of observed price averages and estimates based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).*
*Prices from 1935-1977 are estimated based on the gasoline bucket of the CPI. After 1978, FindTheData used the yearly averages reported by the BLS.
1945
Gasoline Price: $0.17
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1946
Gasoline Price: $0.17
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1947
Gasoline Price: $0.19
Change from the previous year: $0.02
1948
Gasoline Price: $0.22
Change from the previous year: $0.03
1949
Gasoline Price: $0.23
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1950
Gasoline Price: $0.22
Change from the previous year: $-0.01
1951
Gasoline Price: $0.23
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1952
Gasoline Price: $0.24
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1953
Gasoline Price: $0.25
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1954
Gasoline Price: $0.26
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1955
Gasoline Price: $0.26
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1956
Gasoline Price: $0.27
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1957
Gasoline Price: $0.28
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1958
Gasoline Price: $0.28
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1959
Gasoline Price: $0.28
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1960
Gasoline Price: $0.29
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1961
Gasoline Price: $0.29
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1962
Gasoline Price: $0.29
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1963
Gasoline Price: $0.29
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1964
Gasoline Price: $0.29
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1965
Gasoline Price: $0.30
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1966
Gasoline Price: $0.30
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1967
Gasoline Price: $0.31
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1968
Gasoline Price: $0.32
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1969
Gasoline Price: $0.33
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1970
Gasoline Price: $0.33
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1971
Gasoline Price: $0.33
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1972
Gasoline Price: $0.34
Change from the previous year: $0.01
1973
Gasoline Price: $0.37
Change from the previous year: $0.03
1974
Gasoline Price: $0.50
Change from the previous year: $0.13
1975
Gasoline Price: $0.53
Change from the previous year: $0.03
1976
Gasoline Price: $0.56
Change from the previous year: $0.03
1977
Gasoline Price: $0.59
Change from the previous year: $0.03
1978
Gasoline Price: $0.65
Change from the previous year: $0.06
1979
Gasoline Price: $0.88
Change from the previous year: $0.23
1980
Gasoline Price: $1.22
Change from the previous year: $0.34
1981
Gasoline Price: $1.35
Change from the previous year: $0.13
1982
Gasoline Price: $1.28
Change from the previous year: $-0.07
1983
Gasoline Price: $1.22
Change from the previous year: $-0.06
1984
Gasoline Price: $1.20
Change from the previous year: $-0.02
1985
Gasoline Price: $1.19
Change from the previous year: $-0.01
1986
Gasoline Price: $0.93
Change from the previous year: $-0.26
1987
Gasoline Price: $0.96
Change from the previous year: $0.03
1988
Gasoline Price: $0.96
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1989
Gasoline Price: $1.06
Change from the previous year: $0.10
1990
Gasoline Price: $1.22
Change from the previous year: $0.16
1991
Gasoline Price: $1.20
Change from the previous year: $-0.02
1992
Gasoline Price: $1.19
Change from the previous year: $-0.01
1993
Gasoline Price: $1.17
Change from the previous year: $-0.02
1994
Gasoline Price: $1.17
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1995
Gasoline Price: $1.21
Change from the previous year: $0.04
1996
Gasoline Price: $1.29
Change from the previous year: $0.08
1997
Gasoline Price: $1.29
Change from the previous year: $0.00
1998
Gasoline Price: $1.12
Change from the previous year: $-0.17
1999
Gasoline Price: $1.22
Change from the previous year: $0.10
2000
Gasoline Price: $1.56
Change from the previous year: $0.34
2001
Gasoline Price: $1.53
Change from the previous year: $-0.03
2002
Gasoline Price: $1.44
Change from the previous year: $-0.09
2003
Gasoline Price: $1.64
Change from the previous year: $0.20
2004
Gasoline Price: $1.92
Change from the previous year: $0.28
2005
Gasoline Price: $2.34
Change from the previous year: $0.42
2006
Gasoline Price: $2.63
Change from the previous year: $0.29
2007
Gasoline Price: $2.85
Change from the previous year: $0.22
2008
Gasoline Price: $3.32
Change from the previous year: $0.47
2009
Gasoline Price: $2.40
Change from the previous year: $-0.92
2010
Gasoline Price: $2.84
Change from the previous year: $0.44
2011
Gasoline Price: $3.58
Change from the previous year: $0.74
2012
Gasoline Price: $3.70
Change from the previous year: $0.12
2013
Gasoline Price: $3.58
Change from the previous year: $-0.12
2014
Gasoline Price: $3.43
Change from the previous year: $-0.15
2015
Gasoline Price: $2.51
Change from the previous year: $-0.92
