What a Gallon of Gas Cost the Year You Were Born

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1939
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.19 ($2.76)
> U.S. oil production: 3.5 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $1.02 ($15.03)

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1940
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.18 ($2.69)
> U.S. oil production: 4.1 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $1.02 ($14.90)

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1941
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.19 ($2.65)
> U.S. oil production: 3.8 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $1.14 ($15.68)

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1942
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.20 ($2.50)
> U.S. oil production: 3.8 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $1.19 ($14.56)

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1943
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.21 ($2.30)
> U.S. oil production: 4.1 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $1.20 ($13.44)

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1944
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.21 ($2.18)
> U.S. oil production: 4.6 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $1.21 ($12.82)

Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons

1945
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.20 ($2.09)
> U.S. gas consumption: 0.6 billion barrels
> Per capita gas consumption: 173.9 gallons
> U.S. oil production: 4.7 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $1.22 ($12.43)

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1946
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.21 ($1.98)
> U.S. gas consumption: 0.7 billion barrels
> Per capita gas consumption: 214.6 gallons
> U.S. oil production: 4.7 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $1.41 ($13.43)

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1947
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.23 ($2.00)
> U.S. gas consumption: 0.8 billion barrels
> Per capita gas consumption: 225.4 gallons
> U.S. oil production: 5.1 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $1.93 ($16.69)

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1948
> Price per gallon (inflation adj.): $0.26 ($2.12)
> U.S. gas consumption: 0.8 billion barrels
> Per capita gas consumption: 239.0 gallons
> U.S. oil production: 5.5 million barrels per day
> Price of a barrel of oil (inflation adj.): $2.60 ($21.28)