Gas prices under Barack Obama
Gasoline price (regular, per gallon) · Democratic · Jan 20, 2009 – Jan 20, 2017
Under Barack Obama, the price of regular gasoline went from $1.69 in Dec 2008 to $2.23 in Dec 2016, up $0.54 (+32.0%). That is +$0.07/yr, against −$0.05/yr in the four years before. Ranked by yearly change, it is the 3rd-fastest rise of the 8 completed terms since 1977.
Average US retail price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline (CPI average price data). In dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation; mostly set by world oil prices. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED APU000074714. Monthly data, fetched Oct 19, 2026. The chart runs from four years before the term to two years after it.
Gas prices under Obama, year by year
Highest reading during the term: $3.93 in May 2011. Lowest: $1.69 in Dec 2008.
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2008, before inauguration | $1.69 | |
| Dec 2009 | $2.62 | +$0.93 |
| Dec 2010 | $2.99 | +$0.36 |
| Dec 2011 | $3.28 | +$0.29 |
| Dec 2012 | $3.33 | +$0.05 |
| Dec 2013 | $3.28 | −$0.05 |
| Dec 2014 | $2.56 | −$0.72 |
| Dec 2015 | $2.06 | −$0.50 |
| Dec 2016 | $2.23 | +$0.17 |
Gas prices under every president
Terms sorted by yearly change, fastest rise first, each next to the trend over the four years before it. A term's first year mostly reflects the previous administration's policies, and Congress, the Fed and the world economy move this number too. Why nothing here is a score.
| President | During term | 4 years before |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump (2nd term) 2025–present | $3.15 → $4.48 +$0.76/yr · through Sep 2026 | +$0.24/yr |
| Joe Biden 2021–2025 | $2.17 → $3.15 +$0.24/yr | −$0.02/yr |
| Jimmy Carter 1977–1981 | $0.63 → $1.26 +$0.16/yr | — |
| Barack Obama 2009–2017 | $1.69 → $2.23 +$0.07/yr | −$0.05/yr |
| George H. W. Bush 1989–1993 | $0.93 → $1.14 +$0.05/yr | −$0.07/yr |
| Bill Clinton 1993–2001 | $1.14 → $1.49 +$0.04/yr | +$0.05/yr |
| George W. Bush 2001–2009 | $1.49 → $1.69 +$0.02/yr | +$0.06/yr |
| Donald Trump (1st term) 2017–2021 | $2.23 → $2.17 −$0.02/yr | −$0.28/yr |
| Ronald Reagan 1981–1989 | $1.26 → $0.93 −$0.04/yr | +$0.16/yr |
Every term lined up from inauguration day on one chart · Gasoline price by president since 1980