Gas price history from 1935 through 2020

Gas Inflation Calculator

Prices for Gas, 1935-2020 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for gasoline (all types) were 1,376.27% higher in 2020 versus 1935 (a $275.25 difference in value).

Between 1935 and 2020: Gas experienced an average inflation rate of 3.22% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, gas costing $20 in the year 1935 would cost $295.25 in 2020 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.52% during this same period, inflation for gas was lower.

Price Inflation for Gasoline (all types) since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (38.97%), 1974 (35.36%), and 1979 (35.34%).

Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Gasoline (all types):

Year	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
CPI	13.150	13.633	14.220	13.740	12.940	12.614	13.323	14.108	14.254	14.300	14.246	14.508	16.362	18.640	19.140	18.980	19.520	20.040	21.340	21.740	22.160	22.920	23.777	23.446	23.731	24.408	24.154	24.292	24.254	24.133	25.200	25.660	26.415	26.792	27.685	27.915	28.069	28.423	31.200	42.231	45.115	46.992	49.708	51.846	70.169	97.515	108.531	102.808	99.400	97.769	98.592	76.992	80.123	80.800	88.469	100.977	99.238	98.977	97.731	98.185	99.792	105.869	105.762	91.631	100.131	128.569	123.969	116.008	135.123	159.669	194.685	219.938	237.959	277.457	201.555	238.594	301.694	311.470	302.577	290.889	212.007	187.602	211.770	240.599	232.003	194.130

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Buying power of $20 since 1935

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Gas, over time, for $20 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1935	$20.00	-
1936	$20.74	3.68%
1937	$21.63	4.30%
1938	$20.90	-3.38%
1939	$19.68	-5.82%
1940	$19.19	-2.52%
1941	$20.26	5.62%
1942	$21.46	5.89%
1943	$21.68	1.04%
1944	$21.75	0.32%
1945	$21.67	-0.38%
1946	$22.06	1.84%
1947	$24.89	12.78%
1948	$28.35	13.92%
1949	$29.11	2.68%
1950	$28.87	-0.84%
1951	$29.69	2.85%
1952	$30.48	2.66%
1953	$32.46	6.49%
1954	$33.06	1.87%
1955	$33.70	1.93%
1956	$34.86	3.43%
1957	$36.16	3.74%
1958	$35.66	-1.39%
1959	$36.09	1.21%
1960	$37.12	2.85%
1961	$36.74	-1.04%
1962	$36.95	0.57%
1963	$36.89	-0.16%
1964	$36.70	-0.50%
1965	$38.33	4.42%
1966	$39.03	1.83%
1967	$40.18	2.94%
1968	$40.75	1.43%
1969	$42.11	3.33%
1970	$42.46	0.83%
1971	$42.69	0.55%
1972	$43.23	1.26%
1973	$47.45	9.77%
1974	$64.23	35.36%
1975	$68.62	6.83%
1976	$71.47	4.16%
1977	$75.60	5.78%
1978	$78.85	4.30%
1979	$106.72	35.34%
1980	$148.31	38.97%
1981	$165.07	11.30%
1982	$156.36	-5.27%
1983	$151.18	-3.31%
1984	$148.70	-1.64%
1985	$149.95	0.84%
1986	$117.10	-21.91%
1987	$121.86	4.07%
1988	$122.89	0.84%
1989	$134.55	9.49%
1990	$153.58	14.14%
1991	$150.93	-1.72%
1992	$150.54	-0.26%
1993	$148.64	-1.26%
1994	$149.33	0.46%
1995	$151.78	1.64%
1996	$161.02	6.09%
1997	$160.85	-0.10%
1998	$139.36	-13.36%
1999	$152.29	9.28%
2000	$195.54	28.40%
2001	$188.55	-3.58%
2002	$176.44	-6.42%
2003	$205.51	16.48%
2004	$242.84	18.17%
2005	$296.10	21.93%
2006	$334.51	12.97%
2007	$361.92	8.19%
2008	$421.99	16.60%
2009	$306.55	-27.36%
2010	$362.88	18.38%
2011	$458.85	26.45%
2012	$473.72	3.24%
2013	$460.19	-2.86%
2014	$442.42	-3.86%
2015	$322.44	-27.12%
2016	$285.33	-11.51%
2017	$322.08	12.88%
2018	$365.93	13.61%
2019	$352.86	-3.57%
2020	$295.25	-16.32%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.

How to calculate the inflation rate for gas, 1935-2020

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2020 / CPI in 1935 * 1935 USD value = 2020 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Gasoline (all types) was 13.150 in the year 1935 and 194.130 in 2020:

194.130 / 13.150 * $20 = $295.25

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1935 has the same "purchasing power" as $295.25 in 2020 (in the CPI category of Gasoline (all types)).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Gasoline (all types) in 1935. In addition to gas, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.