Fuel oil prices are 8,160.28% higher in 2026 versus 1939 (a $419.44 difference in value).
The latest available average price is $5.15 in August 2026 for Fuel oil #2 per gallon (3.785 liters). See observed price history.
Between 1939 and 2026, Fuel oil experienced an average inflation rate of 5.20% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, fuel oil costing $5.14 in the year 1939 would cost $424.58 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.71% during this same period, inflation for fuel oil was higher.
In the year 1939: Pricing changed by -10.17%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for fuel oil during the 1939-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1939 (-1.30%), inflation for fuel oil was much lower.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of fuel oil rose 855%, from $0.54 per gallon in 1978 to $5.15 in August 2026. Overall prices rose 414% over the same period, so fuel oil rose faster than inflation. This data is collected by a national survey and can vary from region to region.
● Price● Price, inflation-adjusted
The average price for fuel oil is calculated from a weighted average of retailer data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The table below shows the average U.S. price of fuel oil #2 per gallon (3.785 liters) each year, along with the same price adjusted for inflation. To understand how price levels differ from inflation rates, see this article published by the BLS.
| Year | Price (per gallon) | Price, inflation-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | $4.73 | $4.73 |
| 2025 | $3.62 | $3.77 |
| 2024 | $3.61 | $3.85 |
| 2023 | $3.84 | $4.22 |
| 2022 | $5.01 | $5.74 |
| 2021 | $3.01 | $3.72 |
| 2020 | $2.29 | $2.96 |
| 2019 | $2.98 | $3.91 |
| 2018 | $3.09 | $4.12 |
| 2017 | $2.45 | $3.34 |
| 2016 | $2.11 | $2.95 |
| 2015 | $2.60 | $3.68 |
| 2014 | $3.71 | $5.25 |
| 2013 | $3.72 | $5.35 |
| 2012 | $3.75 | $5.48 |
| 2011 | $3.71 | $5.53 |
| 2010 | $2.93 | $4.49 |
| 2009 | $2.51 | $3.93 |
| 2008 | $3.75 | $5.84 |
| 2007 | $2.68 | $4.33 |
| 2006 | $2.50 | $4.15 |
| 2005 | $2.22 | $3.81 |
| 2004 | $1.65 | $2.92 |
| 2003 | $1.40 | $2.55 |
| 2002 | $1.16 | $2.16 |
| 2001 | $1.31 | $2.48 |
| 2000 | $1.36 | $2.65 |
| 1999 | $0.90 | $1.81 |
| 1998 | $0.88 | $1.81 |
| 1997 | $1.01 | $2.12 |
| 1996 | $1.02 | $2.18 |
| 1995 | $0.89 | $1.96 |
| 1994 | $0.92 | $2.07 |
| 1993 | $0.94 | $2.19 |
| 1992 | $0.96 | $2.29 |
| 1991 | $1.02 | $2.50 |
| 1990 | $1.09 | $2.79 |
| 1989 | $0.89 | $2.40 |
| 1988 | $0.85 | $2.40 |
| 1987 | $0.85 | $2.51 |
| 1986 | $0.83 | $2.55 |
| 1985 | $1.08 | $3.36 |
| 1984 | $1.12 | $3.61 |
| 1983 | $1.10 | $3.70 |
| 1982 | $1.21 | $4.20 |
| 1981 | $1.25 | $4.59 |
| 1980 | $1.01 | $4.10 |
| 1979 | $0.73 | $3.36 |
| 1978 | $0.54 | $2.77 |
Yearly averages; 2026 is through August. Inflation-adjusted to 2026 dollars.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Fuel oil, over time, for $5.14 beginning in 1939. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | $5.14 | -10.17% |
| 1940 | $5.46 | 6.16% |
| 1941 | $5.57 | 2.02% |
| 1942 | $6.39 | 14.81% |
| 1943 | $6.89 | 7.83% |
| 1944 | $6.93 | 0.53% |
| 1945 | $6.60 | -4.78% |
| 1946 | $6.68 | 1.23% |
| 1947 | $7.82 | 17.09% |
| 1948 | $10.04 | 28.34% |
| 1949 | $9.66 | -3.74% |
| 1950 | $9.68 | 0.15% |
| 1951 | $10.27 | 6.16% |
| 1952 | $10.52 | 2.37% |
| 1953 | $11.05 | 5.11% |
| 1954 | $11.13 | 0.67% |
| 1955 | $11.51 | 3.44% |
| 1956 | $12.05 | 4.73% |
| 1957 | $12.67 | 5.13% |
| 1958 | $11.94 | -5.75% |
| 1959 | $12.12 | 1.48% |
| 1960 | $11.90 | -1.82% |
| 1961 | $12.39 | 4.08% |
| 1962 | $12.38 | -0.06% |
| 1963 | $12.65 | 2.20% |
| 1964 | $12.37 | -2.21% |
| 1965 | $12.62 | 2.02% |
| 1966 | $12.95 | 2.57% |
| 1967 | $13.38 | 3.36% |
| 1968 | $13.79 | 3.03% |
| 1969 | $14.09 | 2.19% |
| 1970 | $14.62 | 3.82% |
| 1971 | $15.52 | 6.14% |
| 1972 | $15.57 | 0.33% |
| 1973 | $17.99 | 15.51% |
| 1974 | $28.48 | 58.33% |
| 1975 | $30.85 | 8.30% |
| 1976 | $33.06 | 7.16% |
| 1977 | $37.47 | 13.34% |
| 1978 | $39.69 | 5.94% |
| 1979 | $55.72 | 40.37% |
| 1980 | $77.52 | 39.14% |
| 1981 | $94.84 | 22.34% |
| 1982 | $92.79 | -2.17% |
| 1983 | $85.27 | -8.10% |
| 1984 | $87.06 | 2.09% |
| 1985 | $83.57 | -4.00% |
| 1986 | $65.46 | -21.68% |
| 1987 | $67.00 | 2.35% |
| 1988 | $66.95 | -0.07% |
| 1989 | $71.00 | 6.04% |
| 1990 | $87.17 | 22.78% |
| 1991 | $81.66 | -6.32% |
| 1992 | $77.73 | -4.81% |
| 1993 | $77.07 | -0.85% |
| 1994 | $75.68 | -1.81% |
| 1995 | $74.89 | -1.04% |
| 1996 | $85.73 | 14.47% |
| 1997 | $85.59 | -0.16% |
| 1998 | $74.97 | -12.41% |
| 1999 | $76.49 | 2.02% |
| 2000 | $115.11 | 50.49% |
| 2001 | $111.19 | -3.40% |
| 2002 | $98.56 | -11.36% |
| 2003 | $120.75 | 22.51% |
| 2004 | $141.39 | 17.09% |
| 2005 | $191.19 | 35.22% |
| 2006 | $216.13 | 13.05% |
| 2007 | $232.05 | 7.37% |
| 2008 | $322.54 | 39.00% |
| 2009 | $212.25 | -34.19% |
| 2010 | $250.02 | 17.79% |
| 2011 | $325.02 | 30.00% |
| 2012 | $332.37 | 2.26% |
| 2013 | $327.16 | -1.57% |
| 2014 | $322.55 | -1.41% |
| 2015 | $224.73 | -30.33% |
| 2016 | $184.85 | -17.75% |
| 2017 | $213.59 | 15.55% |
| 2018 | $261.62 | 22.49% |
| 2019 | $249.55 | -4.61% |
| 2020 | $192.65 | -22.80% |
| 2021 | $253.11 | 31.39% |
| 2022 | $426.37 | 68.45% |
| 2023 | $353.61 | -17.06% |
| 2024 | $319.99 | -9.51% |
| 2025 | $314.04 | -1.86% |
| 2026 | $424.58 | 35.20%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Fuel oil:
| 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 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 5.570 | 5.800 | 6.642 | 6.475 | 5.817 | 6.175 | 6.300 | 7.233 | 7.800 | 7.842 | 7.467 | 7.558 | 8.850 | 11.358 | 10.933 | 10.950 | 11.625 | 11.900 | 12.508 | 12.592 | 13.025 | 13.642 | 14.342 | 13.517 | 13.717 | 13.467 | 14.017 | 14.008 | 14.317 | 14.000 | 14.283 | 14.650 | 15.142 | 15.600 | 15.942 | 16.550 | 17.567 | 17.625 | 20.358 | 32.233 | 34.908 | 37.408 | 42.400 | 44.917 | 63.050 | 87.725 | 107.325 | 105.000 | 96.500 | 98.517 | 94.575 | 74.075 | 75.817 | 75.767 | 80.342 | 98.642 | 92.408 | 87.967 | 87.217 | 85.642 | 84.750 | 97.017 | 96.858 | 84.842 | 86.558 | 130.258 | 125.825 | 111.533 | 136.642 | 160.000 | 216.358 | 244.583 | 262.597 | 364.999 | 240.197 | 282.932 | 367.804 | 376.126 | 370.234 | 365.008 | 254.317 | 209.182 | 241.714 | 296.064 | 282.408 | 218.008 | 286.435 | 482.502 | 400.165 | 362.112 | 355.387 | 480.473 |