Gas priced at $1.25 in 1980→$4.29 in 2026

Gas Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Gas, 1980-2026 ($1.25)

Gas prices are 243.35% higher in 2026 versus 1980 (a $3.04 difference in value).

The latest available average price is $4.20 in August 2026 for Gasoline, unleaded regular, per gallon/3.785 liters. See observed price history.

Between 1980 and 2026, Gas experienced an average inflation rate of 2.72% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, gas costing $1.25 in the year 1980 would cost $4.29 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.07% during this same period, inflation for gas was lower.

In the year 1980: Pricing changed by 38.98%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for gas during the 1980-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1980 (13.55%), inflation for gas was much higher.

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 (38.98%), 2021 (36%), and 1974 (35.36%).

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of gas rose 237%, from $1.25 per gallon in 1980 to $4.20 in August 2026. Overall prices rose 307% over the same period, so gas rose more slowly than inflation. This data is collected by a national survey and can vary from region to region.

● Price● Price, inflation-adjusted

Gas prices by year

The average price for gas 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 gasoline, unleaded regular, 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.

YearPrice (per gallon)Price, inflation-adjusted
2026 (partial)$3.91$3.91
2025$3.26$3.39
2024$3.45$3.68
2023$3.66$4.02
2022$4.09$4.69
2021$3.05$3.77
2020$2.17$2.81
2019$2.64$3.45
2018$2.74$3.65
2017$2.41$3.29
2016$2.14$2.99
2015$2.45$3.46
2014$3.37$4.76
2013$3.53$5.07
2012$3.64$5.32
2011$3.53$5.25
2010$2.79$4.28
2009$2.35$3.67
2008$3.27$5.08
2007$2.80$4.52
2006$2.59$4.30
2005$2.30$3.94
2004$1.88$3.33
2003$1.59$2.90
2002$1.36$2.53
2001$1.46$2.76
2000$1.51$2.94
1999$1.17$2.34
1998$1.06$2.18
1997$1.23$2.57
1996$1.23$2.63
1995$1.15$2.52
1994$1.11$2.51
1993$1.11$2.57
1992$1.13$2.69
1991$1.14$2.80
1990$1.16$2.98
1989$1.02$2.76
1988$0.95$2.68
1987$0.95$2.80
1986$0.93$2.83
1985$1.20$3.74
1984$1.21$3.91
1983$1.24$4.17
1982$1.30$4.50
1981$1.38$5.08
1980$1.25$5.06
1979$0.90$4.17
1978$0.67$3.44
1977$0.66$3.63
1976$0.61$3.62

Yearly averages; 2026 is through August. Inflation-adjusted to 2026 dollars.

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $1.25 since 1980

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Gas, over time, for $1.25 beginning in 1980. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1980$1.2538.98%
1981$1.3911.30%
1982$1.32-5.27%
1983$1.27-3.32%
1984$1.25-1.64%
1985$1.260.84%
1986$0.99-21.91%
1987$1.034.07%
1988$1.040.84%
1989$1.139.49%
1990$1.2914.14%
1991$1.27-1.72%
1992$1.27-0.27%
1993$1.25-1.25%
1994$1.260.46%
1995$1.281.64%
1996$1.366.09%
1997$1.36-0.10%
1998$1.17-13.36%
1999$1.289.28%
2000$1.6528.40%
2001$1.59-3.58%
2002$1.49-6.42%
2003$1.7316.48%
2004$2.0518.16%
2005$2.5021.93%
2006$2.8212.97%
2007$3.058.19%
2008$3.5616.60%
2009$2.58-27.36%
2010$3.0618.38%
2011$3.8726.45%
2012$3.993.24%
2013$3.88-2.86%
2014$3.73-3.86%
2015$2.72-27.12%
2016$2.40-11.51%
2017$2.7112.88%
2018$3.0813.61%
2019$2.97-3.57%
2020$2.49-16.32%
2021$3.3836.00%
2022$4.4631.71%
2023$3.99-10.40%
2024$3.79-5.09%
2025$3.57-5.73%
2026$4.2920.11%*

* 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 Gasoline (all types):

Year19351936193719381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
CPI13.17013.55014.20813.85812.95012.75013.32514.10814.25014.30014.25014.50816.28318.46719.10018.92519.45820.03321.04221.77522.02522.83323.77523.44223.73324.40824.15824.29224.25824.15024.83325.54226.41726.79227.68327.91728.06728.42531.20042.23345.11746.99249.70851.85070.16797.517108.533102.80899.40097.76798.59276.99280.12580.80088.467100.97599.24298.97597.73398.18399.792105.867105.75891.633100.133128.567123.967116.008135.125159.667194.683219.942237.959277.457201.555238.594301.694311.470302.577290.889212.007187.602211.769240.598232.003194.130264.017347.747311.574295.730278.773334.824

Adjust gas prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2026 / CPI in 1980* 1980 USD value = 2026 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Gasoline (all types) was 97.517 in the year 1980 and 334.824 in 2026:

334.824 / 97.517* $1.25 = $4.29

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1.25 in 1980 has the same "purchasing power" as $4.29 in 2026 (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.