Here’s What a Gallon of Gas Cost the Year You Were Born

As gas prices spike again — with the national average hitting a new record high of $4.96 per gallon on Wednesday — it’s hard not to remember the good old days. But how good were they, really?

Adjusting for inflation gives an apples-to-apples comparison with the numbers we’re seeing today. Using data from the U.S. Department of Energy as well as the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator, let’s take a look at 50 years of gas prices.

Check out the numbers for the years in which you and your friends were born. Following are the average retail prices for gas (regular leaded until 1990, then unleaded) for each year between 1950 and 2000, as they were paid at the pump back then — after federal and state taxes — and after being adjusted for today’s inflation.

2000

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.51 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.52

1999

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.17 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.00

1998

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.06 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $1.84

1997

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.23 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.17

1996

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.23 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.24

1995

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.15 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.15

1994

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.11 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.13

1993

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.11 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.19

1992

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.13 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.30

1991

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.14 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.38

1990

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.15 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.54

1989

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.00 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.32

1988

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.90 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.19

1987

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.90 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.28

1986

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.86 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.21

1985

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.12 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.98

1984

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.13 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.12

1983

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.16 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.33

1982

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.22 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.64

1981

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.31 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $4.23

1980

Average retail price for regular gas: $1.19 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $4.30

1979

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.86 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.54

1978

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.63 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.83

1977

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.62 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.98

1976

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.59 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.98

1975

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.57 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.08

1974

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.53 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.20

1973

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.39 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.57

1972

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.36 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.46

1971

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.36 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.54

1970

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.36 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.68

1969

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.35 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.76

1968

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.34 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.80

1967

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.33 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.82

1966

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.32 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.83

1965

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.31 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.79

1964

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.30 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.73

1963

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.30 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.77

1962

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.31 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.91

1961

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.31 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.92

1960

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.31 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.97

1959

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.31 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.01

1958

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.30 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.95

1957

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.31 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.16

1956

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.30 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.15

1955

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.29 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.05

1954

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.29 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.03

1953

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.29 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.07

1952

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.27 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.86

1951

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.27 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $2.99

1950

Average retail price for regular gas: $0.27 per gallon

Adjusted for overall inflation (2022 dollars): $3.23