Gasoline CPI - Historical Chart
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Gasoline (All Types) in U.S. City Average. Gray shaded areas indicate U.S. recessions.
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Series CUSR0000SETB01. Shaded areas = NBER recession dates. Updated 2026-03-10.
What the Jan 2026 Data Shows
At 274.6, the gasoline cpi in Jan 2026 is above the 10-year average of 257.2 by 17.31. The reading has been mixed recently, fluctuating without a clear directional trend over the past 6 months.
The gasoline CPI (FRED series CUSR0000SETB01) measures retail gasoline price changes across all grades (regular, midgrade, premium). Gasoline is one of the most volatile CPI components, driven by crude oil prices, refinery capacity, seasonal demand, and geopolitical events.
Gas prices spiked to record highs in mid-2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and OPEC+ production constraints. Prices have moderated since but remain subject to significant volatility. The U.S. consumes roughly 9 million barrels of gasoline per day.
Monthly, seasonally adjusted, from BLS CPI price surveys.
What This Metric Measures
This page tracks the Consumer Price Index for gasoline (all types), tracking retail pump price changes for regular, midgrade, and premium gasoline purchased by urban consumers. The data comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database, series CUSR0000SETB01, updated monthly.
Historical Context
The all-time peak was 409.7 in Jun 2022 — roughly 1.5x the current level. The all-time trough was 26.1 in Mar 1967. During COVID-19 in 2020, the reading hit 242.4 (Jan 2020). Year-over-year, the metric has moved -7.5%.
Why It Matters
Transportation costs ripple through every supply chain. When gas prices spike, the cost of shipping inventory rises, delivery services charge more, and employees with long commutes ask for raises. For businesses that operate fleets -- landscaping, HVAC, plumbing, food delivery -- fuel is a top-three expense line item. Every $1/gallon increase on a fleet consuming 1,000 gallons per week is $52,000 per year in additional costs.
What This Means for Business Owners
Understanding where this metric stands relative to historical norms helps business owners make better borrowing decisions. Metrics far from their 10-year average often signal turning points that affect the cost and availability of credit.
Gasoline Prices Index - Frequently Asked Questions
The gasoline CPI index is 274.55 as of Jan 2026, per FRED series CUSR0000SETB01. This is an index (1982-84=100), not a dollar price per gallon. Use it to track the percentage change in gas prices over time.
Direct costs rise for any business operating vehicles (delivery, service calls, sales). Indirect costs rise as suppliers pass through higher shipping expenses. Consumer spending falls because money goes to gas instead of discretionary purchases at local businesses.
Crude oil prices drive about 60% of the retail gasoline cost. Refinery outages, OPEC production decisions, geopolitical conflicts, and seasonal driving demand all create short-term swings. The remaining 40% comes from refining costs, distribution, and taxes.
The national average retail price exceeded $5.00/gallon in June 2022, the highest in CPI history (not inflation-adjusted). Adjusted for inflation, the 2008 oil price spike was comparable in real terms.
Energy accounts for about 7% of the CPI basket, and gasoline is the largest energy component. A 20% spike in gas prices can add roughly 0.5 percentage points to headline CPI. The Fed typically 'looks through' energy volatility by focusing on core CPI.
FRED series CUSR0000SETB01 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI program. Monthly. Based on price surveys at gas stations across 75 urban areas. Covers all gasoline grades.