Natural gas priced at $1.45 in 1935 → $25.72 in 2022

Natural Gas Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Natural Gas, 1935-2022 ($1.45)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for utility (piped) gas service are 1,673.96% higher in 2022 versus 1935 (a $24.27 difference in value).

The current national average price is $1.45 for "Utility (piped) gas per therm". This data is collected by a national survey and can vary from region to region.

Between 1935 and 2022: Natural gas experienced an average inflation rate of 3.36% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, natural gas costing $1.45 in the year 1935 would cost $25.72 in 2022 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.55% during this same period, inflation for natural gas was lower.

Price Inflation for Utility (piped) gas service since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 2003 (22.92%), 2009 (-21.83%), and 2001 (19.89%).

Price history

The average price for Natural gas is calculated from a weighted average of retailer data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Inflation rate is also calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The table below shows average prices and their corresponding "real" prices adjusted for inflation rate. To understand how price levels differ from inflation rates, see this article published by the BLS.

Average prices for Utility (piped) gas per therm:

Year Average price (Natural gas) Inflation adjusted price (2022 dollars)
2022 $1.45 (latest available value) $1.45
2021 $1.25 $1.42
2020 $1.05 $1.40
2019 $1.04 $1.39
2018 $1.05 $1.37
2017 $1.02 $1.33
2016 $0.92 $1.30
2015 $0.94 $1.30
2014 $1.08 $1.31
2013 $1.01 $1.31
2012 $0.97 $1.32
2011 $1.07 $1.32
2010 $1.10 $1.32
2009 $1.12 $1.31
2008 $1.44 $1.32
2007 $1.26 $1.32
2006 $1.28 $1.32
2005 $1.25 $1.32
2004 $1.05 $1.32
2003 $0.97 $1.32
2002 $0.79 $1.32
2001 $0.94 $1.35
2000 $0.80 $1.38
1999 $0.69 $1.38
1998 $0.68 $1.38
1997 $0.69 $1.36
1996 $0.65 $1.37
1995 $0.62 $1.36
1994 $0.65 $1.36
1993 $0.63 $1.35
1992 $0.60 $1.35
1991 $0.60 $1.38
1990 $0.59 $1.37
1989 $0.59 $1.38
1988 $0.58 $1.40
1987 $0.58 $1.38
1986 $0.60 $1.36
1985 $0.63 $1.37
1984 $0.65 $1.39
1983 $0.65 $1.40
1982 $0.56 $1.42
1981 $0.47 $1.42
1980 $0.41 $1.40
1979 $0.35 $1.42
1978 $0.31 $1.47
View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $1.45 since 1935

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Natural gas, over time, for $1.45 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 $1.45 -
1936 $1.44 -0.65%
1937 $1.43 -0.92%
1938 $1.44 0.95%
1939 $1.46 1.26%
1940 $1.45 -0.78%
1941 $1.44 -0.81%
1942 $1.43 -0.55%
1943 $1.42 -0.92%
1944 $1.41 -0.43%
1945 $1.39 -1.24%
1946 $1.37 -1.82%
1947 $1.38 1.15%
1948 $1.43 3.44%
1949 $1.49 4.28%
1950 $1.49 0.15%
1951 $1.49 -0.46%
1952 $1.51 1.90%
1953 $1.56 3.16%
1954 $1.59 1.90%
1955 $1.65 3.94%
1956 $1.68 1.63%
1957 $1.71 1.71%
1958 $1.81 5.96%
1959 $1.87 3.37%
1960 $2.00 6.70%
1961 $2.03 1.31%
1962 $2.03 0.09%
1963 $2.02 -0.17%
1964 $2.03 0.47%
1965 $2.04 0.26%
1966 $2.05 0.51%
1967 $2.05 -0.04%
1968 $2.06 0.81%
1969 $2.10 1.90%
1970 $2.22 5.43%
1971 $2.38 7.23%
1972 $2.50 5.24%
1973 $2.62 4.53%
1974 $2.94 12.52%
1975 $3.53 19.83%
1976 $4.11 16.63%
1977 $4.89 18.96%
1978 $5.38 9.92%
1979 $6.24 16.09%
1980 $7.44 19.17%
1981 $8.48 14.00%
1982 $10.17 19.86%
1983 $11.86 16.66%
1984 $11.95 0.75%
1985 $11.87 -0.69%
1986 $11.29 -4.90%
1987 $10.77 -4.57%
1988 $10.71 -0.61%
1989 $11.00 2.78%
1990 $11.02 0.19%
1991 $11.16 1.25%
1992 $11.37 1.82%
1993 $12.06 6.12%
1994 $12.29 1.90%
1995 $11.66 -5.13%
1996 $12.14 4.13%
1997 $12.98 6.94%
1998 $12.73 -1.97%
1999 $12.80 0.53%
2000 $14.95 16.87%
2001 $17.93 19.89%
2002 $15.32 -14.53%
2003 $18.84 22.92%
2004 $20.40 8.29%
2005 $24.40 19.64%
2006 $25.01 2.47%
2007 $24.66 -1.39%
2008 $28.07 13.83%
2009 $21.94 -21.83%
2010 $21.49 -2.08%
2011 $20.88 -2.82%
2012 $18.87 -9.63%
2013 $19.76 4.72%
2014 $21.16 7.05%
2015 $18.65 -11.86%
2016 $18.20 -2.41%
2017 $19.65 7.97%
2018 $19.67 0.10%
2019 $19.38 -1.48%
2020 $19.41 0.20%
2021 $22.67 16.74%
2022 $25.72 13.49%*
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.

Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Utility (piped) gas service:

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 2021 2022
CPI 12.800 12.717 12.600 12.720 12.880 12.780 12.677 12.608 12.492 12.438 12.285 12.062 12.200 12.620 13.160 13.180 13.120 13.369 13.792 14.054 14.608 14.846 15.100 16.000 16.538 17.646 17.877 17.892 17.862 17.946 17.992 18.085 18.077 18.223 18.569 19.577 20.992 22.092 23.092 25.985 31.138 36.315 43.200 47.485 55.123 65.692 74.892 89.769 104.723 105.508 104.777 99.646 95.092 94.515 97.138 97.323 98.538 100.331 106.469 108.492 102.931 107.177 114.615 112.354 112.954 132.008 158.269 135.277 166.285 180.069 215.431 220.762 217.688 247.803 193.717 189.678 184.334 166.585 174.451 186.754 164.597 160.628 173.433 173.609 171.038 171.387 200.084 227.067

Adjust natural gas prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2022 / CPI in 1935 * 1935 USD value = 2022 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Utility (piped) gas service was 12.800 in the year 1935 and 227.067 in 2022:

227.067 / 12.800 * $1.45 = $25.72

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1.45 in 1935 has the same "purchasing power" as $25.72 in 2022 (in the CPI category of Utility (piped) gas service).

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

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