How Much Did a Gallon of Gas Cost the Year You Were Born?

Gas prices seem to have gone up so much that even the most responsible drivers have considered cutting it close to the "Low Fuel" alert before heading to the station.

Watching the numbers multiply on the pump meter is a special kind of pain, but context is everything. Back in 1956, gas was a mere 30 cents a gallon. That sounds like a steal until you run it through an inflation calculator: in today's dollars, that gallon cost $3.69. Fast-forward through the 1970s energy crisis, the 2008 economic collapse, and recent market shocks from the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East conflict, and by September 2026, AAA placed the average price of a gallon at approximately $4.44.

Of course, national numbers tell only a fraction of the full tank's story. State tax rates, environmental rules, and shipping distances mean a driver in California routinely pays more than someone filling up in Texas. Nonetheless, the data on average annual retail fuel prices used for this list come from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, with historical figures adjusted to 2026 dollars.

Whether you were born when gas cost pocket change or during a historic price spike, here’s a look at what a gallon of gas cost the year you arrived, and what it really meant for your parents’ wallets.

The Average Cost of a Gallon of Gas the Year You Were Born

1955

29 cents 
$3.62 (in 2026 dollars)

1956

30 cents
$3.69 (in 2026 dollars)

1957

31 cents 
$3.70 (in 2026 dollars)

1958

30 cents 
$3.48 (in 2026 dollars)

1959

31 cents 
$3.57 (in 2026 dollars)

1960

31 cents 
$3.51 (in 2026 dollars)

1961

31 cents 
$3.47 (in 2026 dollars)

1962

31 cents 
$3.44 (in 2026 dollars)

1963

30 cents 
$3.28 (in 2026 dollars)

1964

30 cents 
$3.24 (in 2026 dollars)

1965

31 cents
$3.30 (in 2026 dollars)

1966

32 cents
$3.31 (in 2026 dollars)

1967

33 cents 
$3.31 (in 2026 dollars)

1968

34 cents 
$3.27 (in 2026 dollars)

1969

35 cents 
$3.19 (in 2026 dollars)

1970

36 cents
$3.11 (in 2026 dollars)

1971

36 cents
$2.98 (in 2026 dollars)

1972

36 cents 
$2.88 (in 2026 dollars)

1973

39 cents 
$2.94 (in 2026 dollars)

1974

53 cents 
$3.60 (in 2026 dollars)

1975

57 cents 
$3.55 (in 2026 dollars)

1976

61 cents 
$3.59 (in 2026 dollars)

1977

66 cents 
$3.65 (in 2026 dollars)

1978

67 cents 
$3.44 (in 2026 dollars)

1979

90 cents 
$4.15 (in 2026 dollars)

1980

$1.25
$5.08 (in 2026 dollars)

1981

$1.38 
$5.09 (in 2026 dollars)

1982

$1.30
$4.51 (in 2026 dollars)

1983

$1.24
$4.17 (in 2026 dollars)

1984

$1.21
$3.90 (in 2026 dollars)

1985

$1.20
$3.74 (in 2026 dollars)

1986

93 cents 
$2.84 (in 2026 dollars)

1987

95 cents 
$2.80 (in 2026 dollars)

1988

95 cents 
$2.69 (in 2026 dollars)

1989

$1.02 
$2.76 (in 2026 dollars)

1990

$1.16 
$2.97 (in 2026 dollars)

1991

$1.14 
$2.80 (in 2026 dollars)

1992

$1.13 
$2.70 (in 2026 dollars)

1993

$1.11
$2.57 (in 2026 dollars)

1994

$1.11 
$2.51 (in 2026 dollars)

1995

$1.15 
$2.53 (in 2026 dollars)

1996

$1.23 
$2.63 (in 2026 dollars)

1997

$1.23 
$2.57 (in 2026 dollars)

1998

$1.06 
$2.18 (in 2026 dollars)

1999

$1.17 
$2.35 (in 2026 dollars)

2000

$1.51 
$2.94 (in 2026 dollars)

2001

$1.46 
$2.76 (in 2026 dollars)

2002

$1.36
$2.53 (in 2026 dollars)

2003

$1.59 
$2.89 (in 2026 dollars)

2004

$1.88 
$3.33 (in 2026 dollars)

2005

$2.30 
$3.94 (in 2026 dollars)

2006

$2.59 
$4.30 (in 2026 dollars)

2007

$2.80 
$4.52 (in 2026 dollars)

2008

$3.27 
$5.09 (in 2026 dollars)

2009

$2.35 
$3.67 (in 2026 dollars)

2010

$2.79 
$4.29 (in 2026 dollars)

2011

$3.53 
$5.26 (in 2026 dollars)

2012

$3.64 
$5.31 (in 2026 dollars)

2013

$3.53 
$5.08 (in 2026 dollars)

2014

$3.37 
$4.77 (in 2026 dollars)

2015

$2.45 
$3.46 (in 2026 dollars)

2016

$2.14 
$2.99 (in 2026 dollars)

2017

$2.41
$3.29 (in 2026 dollars)

2018

$2.74 
$3.66 (in 2026 dollars)

2019

$2.64
$3.46 (in 2026 dollars)

2020

$2.17 
$2.81 (in 2026 dollars)

2021

$3.05 
$3.77 (in 2026 dollars)

2022

$4.09
$4.68 (in 2026 dollars)

2023

$3.50
$3.85 (in 2026 dollars)

2024

$3.30
$3.52 (in 2026 dollars)

2025

$3.10
$3.23 (in 2026 dollars)

More Like This: