Gas Prices in 2012
inflation-adjusted (CPI-U)
In 2012, regular gasoline averaged $3.62 a gallon across the U.S., which is $5.08 in 2025 dollars after inflation.
How 2012 ranks in the 1970–2025 record
The most expensive year on record, out of 56 years.
The 2nd-highest pump price on record — before adjusting for inflation.
How U.S. prices moved through 2012
Weekly U.S. average for regular gasoline. The year’s high was $3.94 the week of April 2, 2012; the low was $3.25 the week of December 17, 2012 — a swing of 21.1%.
| Month | At the pump | In 2025 $ | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2012 | $3.38 | $4.78 | 5 |
| Feb 2012 | $3.58 | $5.05 | 4 |
| Mar 2012 | $3.85 | $5.42 | 4 |
| Apr 2012 | $3.90 | $5.48 | 5 |
| May 2012 | $3.73 | $5.26 | 4 |
| Jun 2012 | $3.54 | $4.99 | 4 |
| Jul 2012 | $3.44 | $4.85 | 5 |
| Aug 2012 | $3.72 | $5.21 | 4 |
| Sep 2012 | $3.85 | $5.37 | 4 |
| Oct 2012 | $3.75 | $5.21 | 5 |
| Nov 2012 | $3.45 | $4.81 | 4 |
| Dec 2012 | $3.31 | $4.61 | 5 |
2012 vs. the years on either side
State gas prices in 2012
EIA weekly prices for 2012 are available for these states. Each link opens that state’s price history at 2012.
2012: the highest inflation-adjusted average on record
The 2012 average was $3.62, only 9.7¢ above 2011 and 0.7% higher after inflation. That small change was enough to make 2012 the most expensive year in the site’s 1970–2025 record after adjusting for inflation, at $5.08 a gallon in 2025 dollars. Crude oil stayed high all year, and pump prices never fell below $3.25 in any week.
Prices peaked twice. The first peak came in spring: the monthly average rose from $3.38 in January to $3.90 in April, and the year’s weekly high was $3.94 in the week of April 2. After easing in early summer, prices rose again from July. The largest weekly increase, 13.7¢, came in the week of August 6, and the monthly average reached $3.85 in September, after Hurricane Isaac disrupted Gulf Coast refining at the end of August. In early October a refinery outage in Southern California sent West Coast prices sharply higher.
The fall decline was steady: 13.2¢ in the week of October 22, the largest weekly drop, and a low of $3.25 in the week of December 17. The year ended at $3.30, level with where it began.
Sources: prices and high/low weeks are EIA weekly retail data (regular, all formulations) from our database; other facts are from the sources listed here.
U.S. gas prices in 2012, answered
- What was the average price of gas in 2012?
- The U.S. average price of regular gasoline in 2012 was $3.62 per gallon — about $5.08 in 2025 dollars after adjusting for inflation, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.
- How does 2012 rank for gas prices in U.S. history?
- Adjusted for inflation, 2012 was the most expensive year for gasoline out of the 56 years on record (1970–2025). In raw at-the-pump dollars it ranks 2nd.
- Were gas prices higher in 2012 than in 2011?
- Adjusted for inflation, regular gasoline was more expensive in 2012 than in 2011, up 0.7% year over year ($5.04 → $5.08 in 2025 dollars).
- How high did gas prices get during 2012?
- The U.S. weekly average for regular gasoline peaked at $3.94 the week of April 2, 2012 and bottomed at $3.25 the week of December 17, 2012 during 2012.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2012 is the average of EIA’s weekly U.S. regular (all-formulations) retail prices, the method behind EIA’s published annual figure; the weekly figures above are EIA’s weekly U.S. retail series. Inflation adjustment uses the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), constant 2025 dollars. How the figures are built.
More about 2012
Use this data
Download: U.S. national gas prices by year, 1970–present (CSV) · Weekly U.S. national gas prices, 2000–present (CSV).
Column definitions, coverage and every file: gas price data. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit.
Cite as: US Gas Gauge, “Gas Prices in 2012,” usgasgauge.com/gas-prices/history/2012. Source data: U.S. Energy Information Administration.