Oil Price Inflation Calculator: Barrel Prices in Current Dollars
Enter a crude oil price and the year (or month) it was quoted to restate it in September 2026 dollars, the latest month for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). CPI-U covers years from 1913.
Calculator
$30.00 per barrel in 1990 (annual average CPI-U) is $77.34 per barrel in September 2026 dollars.
CPI-U 130.700 → 336.940; prices overall are 2.578 times their 1990 average level (+157.8%).
For example, $30 per barrel in 1990 corresponds to $77.34 in September 2026 dollars: CPI-U averaged 130.700 in 1990 and was 336.940 in September 2026, a ratio of 2.578 (+157.8%). WTI itself averaged $24.53 in 1990, or $63.24 in September 2026 dollars.
Measured this way, the highest annual WTI average was $155.98 in 2008 (nominal $99.67). CPI-U measures consumer prices in general, not oil-industry costs; another index, such as the GDP deflator or the producer price index, gives a different answer.
Multipliers by year
| Year | CPI-U (annual avg) | Multiplier | $30 then | WTI avg (nominal) | WTI avg (real) | Brent avg (real) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 321.943 | 1.047 | $31.40 | $65.39 | $68.44 | $72.36 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 1.074 | $32.22 | $76.63 | $82.31 | $86.49 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 1.106 | $33.17 | $77.58 | $85.79 | $91.22 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 1.151 | $34.54 | $94.90 | $109.26 | $116.20 |
| 2021 | 270.970 | 1.243 | $37.30 | $68.13 | $84.72 | $88.11 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.302 | $39.06 | $39.16 | $50.98 | $54.63 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.318 | $39.54 | $57.00 | $75.12 | $84.74 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 1.342 | $40.25 | $65.23 | $87.53 | $95.73 |
| 2017 | 245.120 | 1.375 | $41.24 | $50.80 | $69.83 | $74.41 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.404 | $42.12 | $43.29 | $60.77 | $61.27 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 1.422 | $42.65 | $48.66 | $69.17 | $74.38 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.423 | $42.70 | $93.17 | $132.61 | $140.86 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.446 | $43.39 | $97.98 | $141.71 | $157.02 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 1.468 | $44.03 | $94.05 | $138.02 | $163.82 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 1.498 | $44.94 | $94.88 | $142.12 | $166.66 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.545 | $46.36 | $79.48 | $122.81 | $123.01 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | 1.571 | $47.12 | $61.95 | $97.30 | $96.97 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 1.565 | $46.95 | $99.67 | $155.98 | $151.71 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 1.625 | $48.75 | $72.34 | $117.56 | $117.72 |
| 2006 | 201.600 | 1.671 | $50.14 | $66.05 | $110.39 | $108.90 |
| 2005 | 195.300 | 1.725 | $51.76 | $56.64 | $97.72 | $94.15 |
| 2004 | 188.900 | 1.784 | $53.51 | $41.51 | $74.04 | $68.24 |
| 2003 | 184.000 | 1.831 | $54.94 | $31.08 | $56.91 | $52.83 |
| 2002 | 179.900 | 1.873 | $56.19 | $26.18 | $49.03 | $46.80 |
| 2001 | 177.100 | 1.903 | $57.08 | $25.98 | $49.43 | $46.54 |
| 2000 | 172.200 | 1.957 | $58.70 | $30.38 | $59.44 | $56.08 |
| 1999 | 166.600 | 2.022 | $60.67 | $19.34 | $39.11 | $36.20 |
| 1998 | 163.000 | 2.067 | $62.01 | $14.42 | $29.81 | $26.38 |
| 1997 | 160.500 | 2.099 | $62.98 | $20.61 | $43.27 | $40.12 |
| 1996 | 156.900 | 2.147 | $64.42 | $22.12 | $47.50 | $44.32 |
| 1995 | 152.400 | 2.211 | $66.33 | $18.43 | $40.75 | $37.63 |
| 1994 | 148.200 | 2.274 | $68.21 | $17.20 | $39.11 | $36.06 |
| 1993 | 144.500 | 2.332 | $69.95 | $18.43 | $42.97 | $39.66 |
| 1992 | 140.300 | 2.402 | $72.05 | $20.58 | $49.42 | $46.40 |
| 1991 | 136.200 | 2.474 | $74.22 | $21.54 | $53.29 | $49.58 |
| 1990 | 130.700 | 2.578 | $77.34 | $24.53 | $63.24 | $61.25 |
| 1989 | 124.000 | 2.717 | $81.52 | $19.64 | $53.37 | $49.54 |
| 1988 | 118.300 | 2.848 | $85.45 | $15.97 | $45.49 | $42.47 |
| 1987 | 113.600 | 2.966 | $88.98 | $19.20 | $56.95 | $54.96 |
| 1986 | 109.600 | 3.074 | $92.23 | $15.05 | $46.27 | — |
| 1985 | 107.600 | 3.131 | $93.94 | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 103.900 | 3.243 | $97.29 | — | — | — |
| 1983 | 99.600 | 3.383 | $101.49 | — | — | — |
| 1982 | 96.500 | 3.492 | $104.75 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | 90.900 | 3.707 | $111.20 | — | — | — |
| 1980 | 82.400 | 4.089 | $122.67 | — | — | — |
| 1979 | 72.600 | 4.641 | $139.23 | — | — | — |
| 1978 | 65.200 | 5.168 | $155.03 | — | — | — |
| 1977 | 60.600 | 5.560 | $166.80 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | 56.900 | 5.922 | $177.65 | — | — | — |
| 1975 | 53.800 | 6.263 | $187.88 | — | — | — |
| 1974 | 49.300 | 6.834 | $205.03 | — | — | — |
| 1973 | 44.400 | 7.589 | $227.66 | — | — | — |
| 1972 | 41.800 | 8.061 | $241.82 | — | — | — |
| 1971 | 40.500 | 8.320 | $249.59 | — | — | — |
| 1970 | 38.800 | 8.684 | $260.52 | — | — | — |
| 1969 | 36.700 | 9.181 | $275.43 | — | — | — |
| 1968 | 34.800 | 9.682 | $290.47 | — | — | — |
| 1967 | 33.400 | 10.088 | $302.64 | — | — | — |
| 1966 | 32.400 | 10.399 | $311.98 | — | — | — |
| 1965 | 31.500 | 10.697 | $320.90 | — | — | — |
| 1964 | 31.000 | 10.869 | $326.07 | — | — | — |
| 1963 | 30.600 | 11.011 | $330.33 | — | — | — |
| 1962 | 30.200 | 11.157 | $334.71 | — | — | — |
| 1961 | 29.900 | 11.269 | $338.07 | — | — | — |
| 1960 | 29.600 | 11.383 | $341.49 | — | — | — |
| 1959 | 29.100 | 11.579 | $347.36 | — | — | — |
| 1958 | 28.900 | 11.659 | $349.76 | — | — | — |
| 1957 | 28.100 | 11.991 | $359.72 | — | — | — |
| 1956 | 27.200 | 12.388 | $371.63 | — | — | — |
| 1955 | 26.800 | 12.572 | $377.17 | — | — | — |
| 1954 | 26.900 | 12.526 | $375.77 | — | — | — |
| 1953 | 26.700 | 12.619 | $378.58 | — | — | — |
| 1952 | 26.500 | 12.715 | $381.44 | — | — | — |
| 1951 | 26.000 | 12.959 | $388.78 | — | — | — |
| 1950 | 24.100 | 13.981 | $419.43 | — | — | — |
| 1949 | 23.800 | 14.157 | $424.71 | — | — | — |
| 1948 | 24.100 | 13.981 | $419.43 | — | — | — |
| 1947 | 22.300 | 15.109 | $453.28 | — | — | — |
| 1946 | 19.500 | 17.279 | $518.37 | — | — | — |
| 1945 | 18.000 | 18.719 | $561.57 | — | — | — |
| 1944 | 17.600 | 19.144 | $574.33 | — | — | — |
| 1943 | 17.300 | 19.476 | $584.29 | — | — | — |
| 1942 | 16.300 | 20.671 | $620.13 | — | — | — |
| 1941 | 14.700 | 22.921 | $687.63 | — | — | — |
| 1940 | 14.000 | 24.067 | $722.01 | — | — | — |
| 1939 | 13.900 | 24.240 | $727.21 | — | — | — |
| 1938 | 14.100 | 23.896 | $716.89 | — | — | — |
| 1937 | 14.400 | 23.399 | $701.96 | — | — | — |
| 1936 | 13.900 | 24.240 | $727.21 | — | — | — |
| 1935 | 13.700 | 24.594 | $737.82 | — | — | — |
| 1934 | 13.400 | 25.145 | $754.34 | — | — | — |
| 1933 | 13.000 | 25.918 | $777.55 | — | — | — |
| 1932 | 13.700 | 24.594 | $737.82 | — | — | — |
| 1931 | 15.200 | 22.167 | $665.01 | — | — | — |
| 1930 | 16.700 | 20.176 | $605.28 | — | — | — |
| 1929 | 17.100 | 19.704 | $591.12 | — | — | — |
| 1928 | 17.100 | 19.704 | $591.12 | — | — | — |
| 1927 | 17.400 | 19.364 | $580.93 | — | — | — |
| 1926 | 17.700 | 19.036 | $571.08 | — | — | — |
| 1925 | 17.500 | 19.254 | $577.61 | — | — | — |
| 1924 | 17.100 | 19.704 | $591.12 | — | — | — |
| 1923 | 17.100 | 19.704 | $591.12 | — | — | — |
| 1922 | 16.800 | 20.056 | $601.68 | — | — | — |
| 1921 | 17.900 | 18.823 | $564.70 | — | — | — |
| 1920 | 20.000 | 16.847 | $505.41 | — | — | — |
| 1919 | 17.300 | 19.476 | $584.29 | — | — | — |
| 1918 | 15.100 | 22.314 | $669.42 | — | — | — |
| 1917 | 12.800 | 26.323 | $789.70 | — | — | — |
| 1916 | 10.900 | 30.912 | $927.36 | — | — | — |
| 1915 | 10.100 | 33.360 | $1,000.81 | — | — | — |
| 1914 | 10.000 | 33.694 | $1,010.82 | — | — | — |
| 1913 | 9.900 | 34.034 | $1,021.03 | — | — | — |
The current year has no BLS annual average yet and is not in this table; in the calculator, choose a month. WTI begins in 1986 and Brent in May 1987; the 1987 Brent figure covers May 20 – Dec 31 only.
Method
Price in September 2026 dollars = price × CPI-U(September 2026) ÷ CPI-U(then). “Then” is the BLS annual average CPI-U for a year, or that month's CPI-U when a month is chosen. Series CUUR0000SA0: all items, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted, 1982–84 = 100. Months BLS did not publish (October 2025) cannot be selected.
The inflation-adjusted price history applies the same method to every monthly and annual WTI and Brent average, and the price change calculator compares two months in real terms.
Source and methodology
| Provider | Series | Units | Coverage | Latest observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | CUUR0000SA0 — CPI-U, all items, NSA | index, 1982–84=100 | 1913 onward | September 2026 |
| U.S. Energy Information Administration | RWTC / RBRTE — spot prices FOB (annual) | $/bbl | 1986 onward | — |
Last updated: Oct 21, 2026, 5:44 PM CDT. Raw values are shown in source units; any conversion is labeled. See methodology and data sources.
Download:Inflation-adjusted annual (CSV)