U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Office

Fact #316: April 19, 2004
U.S. Gasoline and Crude Oil Prices, January 1998–February 2004

This graph shows the relationship between the monthly average price of crude oil and the retail price of gasoline in the United States from January 1998 to February 2003. For analysis of the ups and downs of crude oil and gasoline prices, see the Energy Information Administration's This Week in Petroleum.

Index of Monthly Crude Oil and Gasoline Prices, January 1998–February 2004
Graph showing the retail gasoline price and crude oil price from January 1998 to February 2004.

Supporting Information

Monthly Gasoline and Crude Oil Prices, 1998–2004
  Month   Motor Gasoline Retail Prices* (Cents per Gallon) Crude Oil Prices** (Dollars per Barrel) Index of Gasoline Prices Index of Crude Oil Prices
Jan-98 118.6 15.19 1.000 1.000
Feb-98 113.7 14.07 0.959 0.926
Mar-98 109.7 13.10 0.925 0.862
Apr-98 110.6 13.53 0.933 0.891
May-98 114.6 14.36 0.966 0.945
Jun-98 114.8 12.21 0.968 0.804
Jul-98 113.4 12.08 0.956 0.795
Aug-98 110.8 11.91 0.934 0.784
Sep-98 109.1 13.34 0.920 0.878
Oct-98 109.9 12.70 0.927 0.836
Nov-98 108.6 11.04 0.916 0.727
Dec-98 104.6 9.82 0.882 0.646
Jan-99 103.1 11.11 0.869 0.731
Feb-99 101.4 10.27 0.855 0.676
Mar-99 104.8 12.51 0.884 0.824
Apr-99 123.2 15.29 1.039 1.007
May-99 123.3 15.23 1.040 1.003
Jun-99 120.4 15.86 1.015 1.044
Jul-99 124.4 19.08 1.049 1.256
Aug-99 130.9 20.22 1.104 1.331
Sep-99 133.4 22.54 1.125 1.484
Oct-99 132.9 22.00 1.121 1.448
Nov-99 131.9 24.58 1.112 1.618
Dec-99 135.3 25.47 1.141 1.677
Jan-00 135.6 25.51 1.143 1.679
Feb-00 142.2 27.78 1.199 1.829
Mar-00 159.4 27.49 1.344 1.810
Apr-00 156.1 22.76 1.316 1.498
May-00 155.2 27.74 1.309 1.826
Jun-00 166.6 29.80 1.405 1.962
Jul-00 164.2 28.68 1.384 1.888
Aug-00 155.9 30.20 1.315 1.988
Sep-00 163.5 33.14 1.379 2.182
Oct-00 161.3 30.96 1.360 2.038
Nov-00 160.8 32.55 1.356 2.143
Dec-00 154.4 25.66 1.302 1.689
Jan-01 152.5 25.62 1.286 1.687
Feb-01 153.8 27.50 1.297 1.810
Mar-01 150.3 24.52 1.267 1.614
Apr-01 161.7 25.64 1.363 1.688
May-01 181.2 28.29 1.528 1.862
Jun-01 173.1 27.82 1.460 1.831
Jul-01 156.5 24.62 1.320 1.621
Aug-01 150.9 25.66 1.272 1.689
Sep-01 160.9 25.62 1.357 1.687
Oct-01 144.2 20.55 1.216 1.353
Nov-01 132.4 18.76 1.116 1.235
Dec-01 120.0 18.71 1.012 1.232
Jan-02 120.9 19.42 1.019 1.278
Feb-02 121.0 20.28 1.020 1.335
Mar-02 132.4 23.70 1.116 1.560
Apr-02 149.3 25.73 1.259 1.694
May-02 150.8 25.35 1.272 1.669
Jun-02 148.9 24.08 1.255 1.585
Jul-02 149.6 25.74 1.261 1.695
Aug-02 150.8 26.65 1.272 1.754
Sep-02 150.7 28.40 1.271 1.870
Oct-02 153.5 27.54 1.294 1.813
Nov-02 153.4 24.34 1.293 1.602
Dec-02 147.7 28.33 1.245 1.865
Jan-03 155.7 31.18 1.313 2.053
Feb-03 168.6 32.77 1.422 2.157
Mar-03 179.1 30.61 1.510 2.015
Apr-03 170.4 25.00 1.437 1.646
May-03 158.7 25.86 1.338 1.702
Jun-03 155.8 27.65 1.314 1.820
Jul-03 156.7 28.35 1.321 1.866
Aug-03 167.1 29.89 1.409 1.968
Sep-03 177.1 27.11 1.493 1.785
Oct-03 164.6 29.61 1.388 1.949
Nov-03 157.8 28.73 1.331 1.891
Dec-03 153.8 29.81 1.297 1.962
Jan-04 163.5 33.73 1.379 2.221
Feb-04 171.5 33.36 1.446 2.196

* Motor gasoline prices are an average of all types of motor gasoline, including taxes.
** Brent spot prices.

Sources:
Gasoline price – U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gasoline, All Types, April 2004.
Crude oil price – Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report, March 26, 2004, Table 14, and previous editions.

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