Gasoline in the USA in 2026 will be the cheapest since the pandemic. Venezuela will not affect this
Fuel prices have a huge impact on Americans' home budgets and the overall health of the economy. In 2022, gasoline became a symbol of the inflation crisis, and prices exceeded $5. per gallon. Now, thanks to the declines, the average household will spend $633 less on fuel. less than two years ago.
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According to forecasts by the fuel-saving platform GasBuddy, the average price of gasoline this year will be only $2.97 nationwide. per gallon.
If this forecast, shared with CNN, proves to be accurate, 2026 would be the fourth straight year of falling fuel prices and the first year that the average annual price has dropped below $3 a gallon since 2020.
According to GasBuddy, Americans will spend $11 billion more on fuel. less than in 2025, which means that the average household expenditure on fuel during the year will be $2,083. For comparison, in 2022, Americans spent on average $2,716 for this purpose.
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This is a huge difference compared to 2022, when fuel prices were the flashpoint of the inflation crisis. After Russia invaded Ukraine, which sent oil prices skyrocketing, gasoline prices exceeded $5 for the first time in history. per gallon, and the inflation rate in the United States exceeded 9 percent.
Gasoline in the USA in 2026 will be the cheapest since the pandemic
“The situation is looking really good right now. We are finally getting back on track and the market is returning to balance after the Covid pandemic,” says Patrick De Haan, head of the fuel analysis department at GasBuddy, whose opinion is quoted by CNN.
De Haan adds that even the recent events in Venezuela do not change the optimistic forecasts, because the reconstruction of the local infrastructure will take years.
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As CNN explains, the decline is mainly due to cheaper oil – its price in the US is expected to reach an average of $51 this year. per barrel, compared to $65. in 2025 and $77. in 2024. This is influenced by the increase in supply, mainly thanks to OPEC and high production in the USA. However, low prices are already prompting some companies to limit production.
Experts warn that the situation may change if there is destabilization in Venezuela, changes in OPEC policy or escalation of conflicts in the Middle East. For now, however, the forecasts remain optimistic, and gasoline prices may be one of the few positive signals for American consumers.
