As gas prices rise again — with heat waves and drops in production largely to blame this time around — 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
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