Oil Prices in 2021: WTI & Brent History and Monthly Averages
WTI averaged $68.13 per barrel in 2021, up $28.97 (74.0%) from 2020; that was the highest annual average since 2014.
Monthly average prices in 2021
| Month | WTI avg | WTI high | WTI low | Brent avg | Brent − WTI (matched dates) | WTI (September 2026 $) | Brent (September 2026 $) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | $52.00 | $53.47 | $47.47 | $54.77 | +$2.80 | $66.98 | $70.55 |
| February | $59.04 | $63.43 | $53.55 | $62.28 | +$3.16 | $75.63 | $79.79 |
| March | $62.33 | $66.08 | $57.75 | $65.41 | +$3.08 | $79.29 | $83.21 |
| April | $61.72 | $65.00 | $58.73 | $64.81 | +$2.94 | $77.87 | $81.77 |
| May | $65.17 | $66.87 | $61.95 | $68.53 | +$3.33 | $81.57 | $85.78 |
| June | $71.38 | $74.21 | $67.80 | $73.16 | +$1.79 | $88.52 | $90.73 |
| July | $72.49 | $75.37 | $66.45 | $75.17 | +$2.53 | $89.47 | $92.77 |
| August | $67.70 | $71.31 | $62.25 | $70.61 | +$3.09 | $83.38 | $86.97 |
| September | $71.65 | $75.54 | $68.26 | $74.49 | +$2.94 | $88.01 | $91.50 |
| October | $81.48 | $85.64 | $76.01 | $83.54 | +$2.06 | $99.26 | $101.77 |
| November | $79.15 | $84.12 | $66.14 | $81.05 | +$2.29 | $95.95 | $98.25 |
| December | $71.71 | $76.83 | $65.44 | $74.17 | +$2.81 | $86.66 | $89.64 |
Monthly averages are EIA's published figures. Brent − WTI is the average over dates with both prices published, so it can differ from the difference between the two monthly averages. Inflation-adjusted columns use CPI-U for each month, expressed in September 2026 dollars; “—” means CPI-U for that month is not available.
From $47.47 on Jan 4, 2021, WTI climbed to $85.64 by Oct 26, 2021, an 80% gain. The price finished the year 59% above its first 2021 close of $47.47. The steepest fall within the year ran from $85.64 on Oct 26, 2021 to $65.44 on Dec 1, 2021, a 24% drop. Second-half prices averaged $73.92, up from $62.21 in the first half.
Brent averaged $70.86, up $28.90 (68.9%) from 2020, with daily prices from $50.37 to $85.76; on 246 matched dates it was on average $2.72 above WTI.
The monthly average was lowest in January ($52.00) and highest in October ($81.48). In September 2026 dollars (CPI-U), the 2021 average is $84.72, higher than 2025's real average by $16.28 (23.8%). The 2020s as a whole averaged $72.25, so 2021 ran below its decade. Of 40 complete years with an EIA annual average, 2021 ranks 11th highest.
2021 summary statistics
| Measure | WTI | Brent | Brent − WTI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $68.13 | $70.86 | +$2.72 |
| Change vs 2020 average | +$28.97 | +$28.90 | +$0.23 |
| Highest daily price | $85.64 Oct 26, 2021 | $85.76 Oct 20, 2021 | — |
| Lowest daily price | $47.47 Jan 4, 2021 | $50.37 Jan 4, 2021 | — |
| Highest daily spread | — | — | +$5.11 Nov 23, 2021 |
| Lowest daily spread | — | — | −$0.53 Oct 26, 2021 |
| First observation | $47.47 Jan 4, 2021 | $50.37 Jan 4, 2021 | — |
| Last observation | $75.33 Dec 31, 2021 | $77.24 Dec 31, 2021 | — |
| Published daily observations | 251 | 253 | 246 matched |
| Average in September 2026 dollars | $84.72 | $88.11 | — |
Daily spot prices in 2021
Show all 258 dates (Jan 4, 2021 – Dec 31, 2021)
| Date | WTI | Brent | Brent − WTI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4, 2021 | $47.47 | $50.37 | +$2.90 |
| Jan 5, 2021 | $49.78 | $53.16 | +$3.38 |
| Jan 6, 2021 | $50.45 | $53.80 | +$3.35 |
| Jan 7, 2021 | $50.63 | $53.70 | +$3.07 |
| Jan 8, 2021 | $52.14 | $55.51 | +$3.37 |
| Jan 11, 2021 | $52.15 | $54.84 | +$2.69 |
| Jan 12, 2021 | $53.08 | $55.98 | +$2.90 |
| Jan 13, 2021 | $52.81 | $55.52 | +$2.71 |
| Jan 14, 2021 | $53.47 | $55.76 | +$2.29 |
| Jan 15, 2021 | $52.25 | $54.80 | +$2.55 |
| Jan 18, 2021 | — | $54.21 | — |
| Jan 19, 2021 | $52.87 | $55.38 | +$2.51 |
| Jan 20, 2021 | $53.16 | $55.66 | +$2.50 |
| Jan 21, 2021 | $53.00 | $55.68 | +$2.68 |
| Jan 22, 2021 | $52.28 | $55.22 | +$2.94 |
| Jan 25, 2021 | $52.78 | $55.44 | +$2.66 |
| Jan 26, 2021 | $52.61 | $55.26 | +$2.65 |
| Jan 27, 2021 | $52.81 | $55.07 | +$2.26 |
| Jan 28, 2021 | $52.26 | $54.87 | +$2.61 |
| Jan 29, 2021 | $52.16 | $55.25 | +$3.09 |
| Feb 1, 2021 | $53.55 | $56.42 | +$2.87 |
| Feb 2, 2021 | $54.77 | $57.62 | +$2.85 |
| Feb 3, 2021 | $55.67 | $58.61 | +$2.94 |
| Feb 4, 2021 | $56.19 | $58.98 | +$2.79 |
| Feb 5, 2021 | $56.80 | $59.48 | +$2.68 |
| Feb 8, 2021 | $57.95 | $60.17 | +$2.22 |
| Feb 9, 2021 | $58.34 | $60.74 | +$2.40 |
| Feb 10, 2021 | $58.69 | $61.17 | +$2.48 |
| Feb 11, 2021 | $58.22 | $61.09 | +$2.87 |
| Feb 12, 2021 | $59.50 | $62.47 | +$2.97 |
| Feb 15, 2021 | — | $63.58 | — |
| Feb 16, 2021 | $60.07 | $63.96 | +$3.89 |
| Feb 17, 2021 | $61.09 | $65.02 | +$3.93 |
| Feb 18, 2021 | $60.40 | $64.09 | +$3.69 |
| Feb 19, 2021 | $59.12 | $62.84 | +$3.72 |
| Feb 22, 2021 | $61.67 | $64.73 | +$3.06 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | $61.66 | $65.16 | +$3.50 |
| Feb 24, 2021 | $63.21 | $66.85 | +$3.64 |
| Feb 25, 2021 | $63.43 | $66.69 | +$3.26 |
| Feb 26, 2021 | $61.55 | $65.86 | +$4.31 |
| Mar 1, 2021 | $60.54 | $64.56 | +$4.02 |
| Mar 2, 2021 | $59.70 | $63.17 | +$3.47 |
| Mar 3, 2021 | $61.33 | $64.70 | +$3.37 |
| Mar 4, 2021 | $63.81 | $67.32 | +$3.51 |
| Mar 5, 2021 | $66.08 | $69.95 | +$3.87 |
| Mar 8, 2021 | $65.03 | $68.00 | +$2.97 |
| Mar 9, 2021 | $64.02 | $67.03 | +$3.01 |
| Mar 10, 2021 | $64.45 | $67.53 | +$3.08 |
| Mar 11, 2021 | $66.02 | $69.34 | +$3.32 |
| Mar 12, 2021 | $65.59 | $68.87 | +$3.28 |
| Mar 15, 2021 | $65.36 | $68.78 | +$3.42 |
| Mar 16, 2021 | $64.82 | $67.95 | +$3.13 |
| Mar 17, 2021 | $64.55 | $67.73 | +$3.18 |
| Mar 18, 2021 | $59.95 | $62.11 | +$2.16 |
| Mar 19, 2021 | $61.43 | $64.00 | +$2.57 |
| Mar 22, 2021 | $61.48 | $63.89 | +$2.41 |
| Mar 23, 2021 | $57.75 | $59.96 | +$2.21 |
| Mar 24, 2021 | $61.12 | $63.70 | +$2.58 |
| Mar 25, 2021 | $58.47 | $61.21 | +$2.74 |
| Mar 26, 2021 | $60.93 | $63.77 | +$2.84 |
| Mar 29, 2021 | $61.49 | $64.06 | +$2.57 |
| Mar 30, 2021 | $60.55 | $63.28 | +$2.73 |
| Mar 31, 2021 | $59.19 | $63.52 | +$4.33 |
| Apr 1, 2021 | $61.41 | $63.85 | +$2.44 |
| Apr 5, 2021 | $58.73 | — | — |
| Apr 6, 2021 | $59.34 | $61.47 | +$2.13 |
| Apr 7, 2021 | $59.77 | $61.86 | +$2.09 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | $59.61 | $62.09 | +$2.48 |
| Apr 9, 2021 | $59.29 | $61.89 | +$2.60 |
| Apr 12, 2021 | $59.70 | $62.38 | +$2.68 |
| Apr 13, 2021 | $60.20 | $62.83 | +$2.63 |
| Apr 14, 2021 | $63.15 | $66.11 | +$2.96 |
| Apr 15, 2021 | $63.42 | $66.13 | +$2.71 |
| Apr 16, 2021 | $63.16 | $65.98 | +$2.82 |
| Apr 19, 2021 | $63.33 | $66.54 | +$3.21 |
| Apr 20, 2021 | $62.61 | $65.34 | +$2.73 |
| Apr 21, 2021 | $61.34 | $64.02 | +$2.68 |
| Apr 22, 2021 | $61.45 | $65.07 | +$3.62 |
| Apr 23, 2021 | $62.18 | $65.75 | +$3.57 |
| Apr 26, 2021 | $62.02 | $65.50 | +$3.48 |
| Apr 27, 2021 | $63.03 | $66.25 | +$3.22 |
| Apr 28, 2021 | $63.81 | $67.08 | +$3.27 |
| Apr 29, 2021 | $65.00 | $68.26 | +$3.26 |
| Apr 30, 2021 | $63.50 | $67.73 | +$4.23 |
| May 3, 2021 | $64.46 | — | — |
| May 4, 2021 | $65.72 | $68.91 | +$3.19 |
| May 5, 2021 | $65.63 | $69.71 | +$4.08 |
| May 6, 2021 | $64.73 | $68.62 | +$3.89 |
| May 7, 2021 | $64.96 | $68.73 | +$3.77 |
| May 10, 2021 | $64.92 | $68.61 | +$3.69 |
| May 11, 2021 | $65.31 | $68.83 | +$3.52 |
| May 12, 2021 | $65.96 | $69.62 | +$3.66 |
| May 13, 2021 | $63.82 | $67.36 | +$3.54 |
| May 14, 2021 | $65.32 | $69.24 | +$3.92 |
| May 17, 2021 | $66.24 | $69.62 | +$3.38 |
| May 18, 2021 | $65.49 | $69.01 | +$3.52 |
| May 19, 2021 | $63.28 | $66.88 | +$3.60 |
| May 20, 2021 | $61.95 | $65.18 | +$3.23 |
| May 21, 2021 | $63.61 | $66.72 | +$3.11 |
| May 24, 2021 | $66.13 | $68.59 | +$2.46 |
| May 25, 2021 | $66.27 | $68.80 | +$2.53 |
| May 26, 2021 | $66.41 | $68.93 | +$2.52 |
| May 27, 2021 | $66.87 | $69.43 | +$2.56 |
| May 28, 2021 | $66.31 | $69.36 | +$3.05 |
| Jun 1, 2021 | $67.80 | $70.03 | +$2.23 |
| Jun 2, 2021 | $68.79 | $70.60 | +$1.81 |
| Jun 3, 2021 | $68.81 | $70.71 | +$1.90 |
| Jun 4, 2021 | $69.57 | $71.30 | +$1.73 |
| Jun 7, 2021 | $69.21 | $70.89 | +$1.68 |
| Jun 8, 2021 | $70.11 | $71.39 | +$1.28 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | $69.90 | $71.31 | +$1.41 |
| Jun 10, 2021 | $70.34 | $71.65 | +$1.31 |
| Jun 11, 2021 | $71.00 | $72.05 | +$1.05 |
| Jun 14, 2021 | $70.94 | $72.27 | +$1.33 |
| Jun 15, 2021 | $72.06 | $73.38 | +$1.32 |
| Jun 16, 2021 | $72.03 | $73.88 | +$1.85 |
| Jun 17, 2021 | $71.06 | $72.92 | +$1.86 |
| Jun 18, 2021 | $71.64 | $73.10 | +$1.46 |
| Jun 21, 2021 | $73.64 | $74.49 | +$0.85 |
| Jun 22, 2021 | $73.15 | $74.92 | +$1.77 |
| Jun 23, 2021 | $73.11 | $75.22 | +$2.11 |
| Jun 24, 2021 | $73.31 | $75.95 | +$2.64 |
| Jun 25, 2021 | $74.21 | $76.45 | +$2.24 |
| Jun 28, 2021 | $72.98 | $74.78 | +$1.80 |
| Jun 29, 2021 | $73.14 | $75.38 | +$2.24 |
| Jun 30, 2021 | $73.52 | $76.94 | +$3.42 |
| Jul 1, 2021 | $75.33 | $76.69 | +$1.36 |
| Jul 2, 2021 | $75.37 | $77.51 | +$2.14 |
| Jul 5, 2021 | — | $78.34 | — |
| Jul 6, 2021 | $73.62 | $75.81 | +$2.19 |
| Jul 7, 2021 | $72.22 | $74.31 | +$2.09 |
| Jul 8, 2021 | $72.98 | $75.07 | +$2.09 |
| Jul 9, 2021 | $74.56 | $77.14 | +$2.58 |
| Jul 12, 2021 | $74.21 | $76.77 | +$2.56 |
| Jul 13, 2021 | $75.24 | $77.50 | +$2.26 |
| Jul 14, 2021 | $73.06 | $75.74 | +$2.68 |
| Jul 15, 2021 | $71.67 | $74.53 | +$2.86 |
| Jul 16, 2021 | $71.76 | $74.46 | +$2.70 |
| Jul 19, 2021 | $66.45 | $69.33 | +$2.88 |
| Jul 20, 2021 | $67.32 | $70.03 | +$2.71 |
| Jul 21, 2021 | $70.26 | $72.54 | +$2.28 |
| Jul 22, 2021 | $72.15 | $74.25 | +$2.10 |
| Jul 23, 2021 | $72.24 | $74.86 | +$2.62 |
| Jul 26, 2021 | $72.15 | $74.79 | +$2.64 |
| Jul 27, 2021 | $71.68 | $74.87 | +$3.19 |
| Jul 28, 2021 | $72.37 | $75.09 | +$2.72 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | $73.62 | $76.30 | +$2.68 |
| Jul 30, 2021 | $73.93 | $77.72 | +$3.79 |
| Aug 2, 2021 | $71.31 | $73.91 | +$2.60 |
| Aug 3, 2021 | $70.64 | $73.24 | +$2.60 |
| Aug 4, 2021 | $68.19 | $70.99 | +$2.80 |
| Aug 5, 2021 | $69.10 | $72.14 | +$3.04 |
| Aug 6, 2021 | $68.26 | $71.02 | +$2.76 |
| Aug 9, 2021 | $66.56 | $69.65 | +$3.09 |
| Aug 10, 2021 | $68.33 | $71.14 | +$2.81 |
| Aug 11, 2021 | $69.30 | $71.99 | +$2.69 |
| Aug 12, 2021 | $69.12 | $71.79 | +$2.67 |
| Aug 13, 2021 | $68.36 | $70.90 | +$2.54 |
| Aug 16, 2021 | $67.44 | $70.07 | +$2.63 |
| Aug 17, 2021 | $66.50 | $69.40 | +$2.90 |
| Aug 18, 2021 | $65.36 | $68.61 | +$3.25 |
| Aug 19, 2021 | $63.69 | $66.80 | +$3.11 |
| Aug 20, 2021 | $62.25 | $65.51 | +$3.26 |
| Aug 23, 2021 | $65.65 | $69.07 | +$3.42 |
| Aug 24, 2021 | $67.50 | $71.21 | +$3.71 |
| Aug 25, 2021 | $68.54 | $72.12 | +$3.58 |
| Aug 26, 2021 | $67.42 | $70.42 | +$3.00 |
| Aug 27, 2021 | $68.84 | $72.26 | +$3.42 |
| Aug 30, 2021 | $69.28 | — | — |
| Aug 31, 2021 | $68.43 | $73.45 | +$5.02 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | $68.63 | $71.99 | +$3.36 |
| Sep 2, 2021 | $70.07 | $73.56 | +$3.49 |
| Sep 3, 2021 | $69.34 | $73.07 | +$3.73 |
| Sep 6, 2021 | — | $72.43 | — |
| Sep 7, 2021 | $68.49 | $71.52 | +$3.03 |
| Sep 8, 2021 | $69.36 | $72.36 | +$3.00 |
| Sep 9, 2021 | $68.26 | $71.32 | +$3.06 |
| Sep 10, 2021 | $69.82 | $72.44 | +$2.62 |
| Sep 13, 2021 | $70.54 | $72.97 | +$2.43 |
| Sep 14, 2021 | $70.53 | $73.05 | +$2.52 |
| Sep 15, 2021 | $72.59 | $74.84 | +$2.25 |
| Sep 16, 2021 | $72.69 | $75.14 | +$2.45 |
| Sep 17, 2021 | $72.09 | $74.64 | +$2.55 |
| Sep 20, 2021 | $70.41 | $73.59 | +$3.18 |
| Sep 21, 2021 | $70.51 | $73.65 | +$3.14 |
| Sep 22, 2021 | $72.37 | $75.50 | +$3.13 |
| Sep 23, 2021 | $73.43 | $76.44 | +$3.01 |
| Sep 24, 2021 | $74.18 | $77.42 | +$3.24 |
| Sep 27, 2021 | $75.54 | $78.85 | +$3.31 |
| Sep 28, 2021 | $75.44 | $78.30 | +$2.86 |
| Sep 29, 2021 | $75.06 | $77.86 | +$2.80 |
| Sep 30, 2021 | $75.22 | $77.81 | +$2.59 |
| Oct 1, 2021 | $76.01 | $79.40 | +$3.39 |
| Oct 4, 2021 | $77.68 | $81.44 | +$3.76 |
| Oct 5, 2021 | $79.17 | $82.72 | +$3.55 |
| Oct 6, 2021 | $77.66 | $81.39 | +$3.73 |
| Oct 7, 2021 | $78.46 | $82.34 | +$3.88 |
| Oct 8, 2021 | $79.55 | $82.17 | +$2.62 |
| Oct 11, 2021 | $80.64 | $83.75 | +$3.11 |
| Oct 12, 2021 | $80.75 | $83.53 | +$2.78 |
| Oct 13, 2021 | $80.67 | $83.53 | +$2.86 |
| Oct 14, 2021 | $81.43 | $83.86 | +$2.43 |
| Oct 15, 2021 | $82.39 | $84.67 | +$2.28 |
| Oct 18, 2021 | $82.62 | $84.13 | +$1.51 |
| Oct 19, 2021 | $83.19 | $85.02 | +$1.83 |
| Oct 20, 2021 | $84.40 | $85.76 | +$1.36 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | $82.64 | $84.58 | +$1.94 |
| Oct 22, 2021 | $84.53 | $85.43 | +$0.90 |
| Oct 25, 2021 | $84.64 | $84.85 | +$0.21 |
| Oct 26, 2021 | $85.64 | $85.11 | −$0.53 |
| Oct 27, 2021 | $82.66 | $84.12 | +$1.46 |
| Oct 28, 2021 | $82.78 | $83.40 | +$0.62 |
| Oct 29, 2021 | $83.50 | $83.10 | −$0.40 |
| Nov 1, 2021 | $84.08 | $84.51 | +$0.43 |
| Nov 2, 2021 | $83.91 | $84.42 | +$0.51 |
| Nov 3, 2021 | $80.82 | $81.10 | +$0.28 |
| Nov 4, 2021 | $78.88 | $80.15 | +$1.27 |
| Nov 5, 2021 | $81.25 | $82.43 | +$1.18 |
| Nov 8, 2021 | $81.96 | $83.22 | +$1.26 |
| Nov 9, 2021 | $84.12 | $84.52 | +$0.40 |
| Nov 10, 2021 | $81.23 | $82.91 | +$1.68 |
| Nov 11, 2021 | $81.47 | $83.40 | +$1.93 |
| Nov 12, 2021 | $80.87 | $82.90 | +$2.03 |
| Nov 15, 2021 | $80.85 | $81.94 | +$1.09 |
| Nov 16, 2021 | $80.76 | $82.85 | +$2.09 |
| Nov 17, 2021 | $78.32 | $80.67 | +$2.35 |
| Nov 18, 2021 | $78.92 | $82.45 | +$3.53 |
| Nov 19, 2021 | $76.11 | $80.24 | +$4.13 |
| Nov 22, 2021 | $76.74 | $80.97 | +$4.23 |
| Nov 23, 2021 | $78.32 | $83.43 | +$5.11 |
| Nov 24, 2021 | $78.32 | $82.37 | +$4.05 |
| Nov 25, 2021 | — | $82.05 | — |
| Nov 26, 2021 | — | $72.37 | — |
| Nov 29, 2021 | $69.88 | $73.34 | +$3.46 |
| Nov 30, 2021 | $66.14 | $70.86 | +$4.72 |
| Dec 1, 2021 | $65.44 | $69.53 | +$4.09 |
| Dec 2, 2021 | $66.60 | $70.56 | +$3.96 |
| Dec 3, 2021 | $66.39 | $70.71 | +$4.32 |
| Dec 6, 2021 | $69.62 | $73.38 | +$3.76 |
| Dec 7, 2021 | $71.94 | $75.54 | +$3.60 |
| Dec 8, 2021 | $72.43 | $75.94 | +$3.51 |
| Dec 9, 2021 | $70.87 | $74.10 | +$3.23 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | $71.71 | $74.98 | +$3.27 |
| Dec 13, 2021 | $71.19 | $74.12 | +$2.93 |
| Dec 14, 2021 | $70.57 | $73.37 | +$2.80 |
| Dec 15, 2021 | $70.89 | $73.71 | +$2.82 |
| Dec 16, 2021 | $72.34 | $74.64 | +$2.30 |
| Dec 17, 2021 | $70.93 | $72.97 | +$2.04 |
| Dec 20, 2021 | $68.69 | $70.51 | +$1.82 |
| Dec 21, 2021 | $71.10 | $72.85 | +$1.75 |
| Dec 22, 2021 | $72.82 | $74.69 | +$1.87 |
| Dec 23, 2021 | $73.89 | $76.26 | +$2.37 |
| Dec 24, 2021 | — | $75.24 | — |
| Dec 27, 2021 | $75.49 | — | — |
| Dec 28, 2021 | $76.01 | — | — |
| Dec 29, 2021 | $76.58 | $78.63 | +$2.05 |
| Dec 30, 2021 | $76.83 | $78.61 | +$1.78 |
| Dec 31, 2021 | $75.33 | $77.24 | +$1.91 |
“—” means EIA published no price for that benchmark on that date.
Source and methodology
| Provider | Series | Units | Coverage | Latest observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Energy Information Administration | RWTC — WTI spot price FOB | $/bbl | Jan 4, 2021 – Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2021 |
| U.S. Energy Information Administration | RBRTE — Brent spot price FOB | $/bbl | Jan 4, 2021 – Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2021 |
| U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | CUUR0000SA0 — CPI-U, all items, NSA | index, 1982–84=100 | monthly and annual average | September 2026 |
Inflation adjustment: real = nominal × CPI-U(September 2026) ÷ CPI-U(period). Annual figures use the BLS annual average CPI-U; a year without one uses the mean of the months published so far.
Last updated: Oct 21, 2026, 5:27 PM CDT. Raw values are shown in source units; any conversion is labeled. See methodology and data sources.
Download:2021 daily prices (CSV)