As of May 2025, the average annual price of Brent crude oil stood at 72 U.S. dollars per barrel. This is some eight U.S. dollars lower than the 2024 average. Brent is the world's leading price benchmark for Atlantic basin crude oils. Crude oil is one of the most closely observed commodity prices as it influences costs across all stages of the production process and consequently alters the price of consumer goods as well. What determines crude oil benchmarks? In the past decade, crude oil prices have been especially volatile. Their inherent inelasticity regarding short-term changes in demand and supply means that oil prices are erratic by nature. However, since the 2009 financial crisis, many commercial developments have greatly contributed to price volatility; such as economic growth by BRIC countries like China and India, and the advent of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in the U.S. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war are examples of geopolitical events dictating prices. Light crude oils - Brent and WTI Brent Crude is considered a classification of sweet light crude oil and acts as a benchmark price for oil around the world. It is considered a sweet light crude oil due to its low sulfur content and a low density and may be easily refined into gasoline. This oil originates in the North Sea and comprises several different oil blends, including Brent Blend and Ekofisk crude. Often, this crude oil is refined in Northwest Europe. Another sweet light oil often referenced alongside UK Brent is West Texas Intermediate (WTI). WTI oil prices amounted to 76.55 U.S. dollars per barrel in 2024.

Brent fell to 66.38 USD/Bbl on July 1, 2025, down 0.53% from the previous day. Over the past month, Brent's price has risen 2.71%, but it is still 23.02% lower than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Brent crude oil - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

Brent crude oil is projected to have an average annual spot price of 65.85 U.S. dollars per barrel in 2025, according to a forecast from May 2025. This would mean a decrease of nearly 15 U.S. dollars compared to the previous year, and also reflects a reduced forecast WTI crude oil price. Lower economic activity, an increase in OPEC+ production output, and uncertainty over trade tariffs all impacted price forecasting. All about Brent Also known as Brent Blend, London Brent, and Brent petroleum, Brent Crude is a crude oil benchmark named after the exploration site in the North Sea's Brent oilfield. It is a sweet light crude oil but slightly heavier than West Texas Intermediate. In this context, sweet refers to a low sulfur content and light refers to a relatively low density when compared to other crude oil benchmarks. Price development in the 2020s Oil prices are volatile, impacted by consumer demand and discoveries of new oilfields, new extraction methods such as fracking, and production caps routinely placed by OPEC on its member states. The price for Brent crude oil stood at an average of just 42 U.S. dollars in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a sudden demand drop. Two years later, sanctions on Russian energy imports, had pushed up prices to a new decade-high, above 100 U.S. dollars per barrel.

Interactive daily chart of Brent (Europe) crude oil prices over the last ten years. Values shown are daily closing prices.

United Kingdom BOE Forecast: Brent Crude Oil Price data was reported at 71.000 USD/Barrel in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 74.000 USD/Barrel for 2020. United Kingdom BOE Forecast: Brent Crude Oil Price data is updated yearly, averaging 72.500 USD/Barrel from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2021, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 81.000 USD/Barrel in 2018 and a record low of 43.000 USD/Barrel in 2015. United Kingdom BOE Forecast: Brent Crude Oil Price data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bank of England. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.P009: Crude Oil and Gas Prices: Forecast.

This statistic displays a global forecast on oil prices by quarter in 2015, for UK Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI). In the first quarter of 2015, Brent oil prices is predicted to reach 71 U.S. dollars per barrel.

Graph and download economic data for Crude Oil Prices: Brent - Europe (DCOILBRENTEU) from 1987-05-20 to 2025-06-16 about crude, oil, Europe, commodities, and price.

Crude Oil fell to 64.78 USD/Bbl on July 1, 2025, down 0.50% from the previous day. Over the past month, Crude Oil's price has risen 3.62%, but it is still 21.77% lower than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Crude Oil - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

In May 2025, the price for one barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil averaged 62.17 U.S. dollars. This was a decrease compared to the previous month and the lowest figure in the past 24-month period amid continued weak demand outlooks. WTI and other benchmark crudes WTI is also known as "Texas light sweet", and is a grade of crude oil used as a benchmark for oil produced in the United States. It has an API gravity of around 39.6 and specific gravity of about 0.827, which, relative to other crude oils, is considered “light,” hence the name. WTI also contains about 0.24 percent sulfur, making it a “sweet” crude oil. The price of WTI can be compared to the prices other of crude oils, i.e. UK Brent, the OPEC basket, and Dubai Fateh oil. WTI crude oil is the underlying commodity of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s oil futures contracts. U.S. oil production and its influence on light oil prices The price development of WTI crude oil relative to Brent crude oil has been influenced by variances in U.S. crude oil transportation and increased U.S. oil production. New transportation infrastructure became operational in early 2013, easing the movement of crude oil in the mid-continent and raising the price of WTI. Since then, U.S. refineries have increased production of crude oil to record levels, also raising the price of WTI. Meanwhile, expedited crude transport in the U.S. put downward pressure on Brent crude oil as domestic crude replaced some imported Brent crude. Between 2014 and 2016, UK Brent prices dropped rapidly, as was the case for all other crude oils.

UK oil and gas production has diminished over the past decade because old oil fields have matured while developing new commercially viable sources has become increasingly challenging. To combat this, extractors have pooled their resources and formed partnerships to enhance efficiency, while some have benefitted from previous investments in fields coming onstream. Oil and gas extracting companies also reaped the rewards of an upsurge in global prices through 2022-23, leading to sharp revenue growth. However, this quickly turned around in 2023-24, with most major companies’ revenue nosediving along with oil prices, as growing global oil and gas from America flooded the market, slightly outpacing demand. Revenue is expected to expand at a compound annual rate of 3.4% over the five years through 2024-25 to just over £33 billion. This includes a forecast hike of 5.3% in 2024-25; however, profit is slated to inch downward over the year as global oil and gas prices remain somewhat flat in the second half of 2024-25. Global oil and gas prices greatly affect the industry's performance, with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) putting supply cuts in place and global tensions resulting in price peaks and troughs. In October 2022, OPEC instituted a supply cut of two million barrels of crude oil per day, driving Brent Crude Oil prices up to US$110 (£87.80) per barrel, which has been extended until March 2025, with a ramping up period through September 2025. This is set to keep oil prices stable by limiting global oil supplies in the face of growing production in non-OPEC countries. The sanctions on Russian oil and gas imports because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict add further impetus to prices. The EU has banned imports of Russian-made oil and gas, providing opportunities for UK exporters. Crude oil prices remain high, but significant oil production from non-OPEC countries threatening a glut in the oil market and a significant dip in global demand (especially from China) has made oil prices plummet since July 2024. Despite mounting tensions in the Middle East having the potential to cut oil supply from the region, the ongoing political tensions have yet to significantly impact global prices, with prices hiking up around 10% in the month to October 2024 but remaining relatively low. Oil and gas prices are likely to continue inching downwards in the coming years as the US is forecast to continue ramping up the global oil and gas supply. This, along with an expected drop in global demand for oil and gas in the long term, will limit growth. The UK government will implement policies to create a more favourable environment for extractors and further investment in the North Sea to improve UK energy security. However, the depletion of natural resources, the expensive cost of extraction, low gas and oil prices and the global energy transition will threaten the industry's long-term viability. The government announced a delay to the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, along with the relaxation of some net-zero policies in September 2023, which should keep fossil fuel explorers afloat for longer. Revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 3.4% over the five years through 2029-30 to just over £39 billion.

Oil prices rise as market focuses on US-China trade talks, OPEC's production strategy, and geopolitical sanctions impacting the global market.

The average spot price for West Texas Intermediate crude oil came to 76.63 U.S. dollars per barrel in 2024, a decrease of nearly one U.S. dollars compared to the previous year. The 2024 average spot price for Brent crude oil was 80.52 U.S. dollars. Both Brent and WTI are light crude oils, with the first used as a benchmark for gasoline prices around the world. Spot prices vs. future prices Spot prices refer to current market prices under which a commodity such as one barrel of crude oil may be bought for immediate delivery. In contrast, future prices refer to settlement and delivery at a later date. As a major refinery and storage hub, Cushing in Oklahoma is the delivery location for WTI traded via the New York Mercantile Exchange. When storage capacities threatened to reach their maximum capacity in April 2020, the WTI oil price crashed as a result, trading at record low prices. The WTI oil price fell into negative numbers for the first time in its history, closing out at negative 37.63 U.S. dollars per barrel on April 20th. The lowest value for Brent prices was 19.33 U.S. dollars per barrel. Influences on oil prices Oil prices are volatile commodities as their trading and delivery is heavily influenced by overall market development and geopolitical events. For example, the Russia-Ukraine war and resulting Russian sanctions brought about fears of supply bottlenecks, which pushed oil prices to decade-highs also reflected in the 2022 annual average.

Petroleum refining companies in the UK produce a wide variety of products. Fuels for transport and heating are the most common, with petroleum products for transport accounting for almost three-quarters of product demand. Industry revenue is expected to swell at a compound annual rate of 2.6% over the five years through 2024-25 to £50.7 billion, including a forecast dip of 0.2% in 2024-25, owing to staggering volatility in oil prices in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on the industry. Global border and travel restrictions dented both demand for fuel and fuel prices, weighing on revenue and profitability for refiners. However, this trend was quickly reversed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This led to the UK and other major economies announcing they would wean themselves off Russian oil, leading to a sharp spike in oil prices over 2022-23 and, to a lesser degree, 2023-24. Strong oil price inflation translated into higher value sales for refined oil companies, paving the way for a strong recovery. A number of petroleum refiners have altered their production to focus on diesel as the new primary fuel. Both petrol and diesel face rising competition from alternatively fuelled vehicles due to their reduced emissions, lowering demand for oil-derived fuels. Industry revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 6.1% over the five years through 2029-30 to £68.4 billion. Demand for petrol and diesel-fuelled vehicles is set to fall due to government initiatives designed to reduce emissions, including the extension of Clean Air Zones and the banning of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. Demand for pure electric vehicles will continue to climb, presenting a significant threat to fuel demand in the long term.

In April 2025, the average price of the OPEC basket was 68.98 U.S. dollars per barrel. This was a notable decrease compared to the previous month and the lowest value in the past 24 months. The OPEC basket is a weighted average of prices for petroleum blends produced by OPEC countries. OPEC stands for “Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries,” and was founded in 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq. The main aim of OPEC is to coordinate the oil policies of its members, and thus to have more influence on the international oil market. It is used as an important benchmark for crude oil prices. The OPEC basket oil price The OPEC crude oil price is defined by the price of the so-called OPEC (reference) basket. This basket is an average of the prices of petroleum blends that are produced by the OPEC members. The following countries are members of this organization: Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates. Some of these oil blends are, for example: Saharan Blend from Algeria, Basra Light from Iraq, and Arab Light from Saudi Arabia. The OPEC reference basket includes both heavy and light crude oils, and is heavier than most other crudes. OPEC's oil production amounted to 34 million barrels per day in 2023. Oil price benchmarks The OPEC basket is one of the most crucial benchmarks for crude oil pricing worldwide. Other significant benchmarks are UK Brent, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), and Dubai Crude (Fateh). Because there are many types and grades of oil, such benchmarks are indispensable for referencing them on the global oil market. Looking at the OPEC price within the last two years, the highest price was some 94.6 U.S. dollars per barrel in September 2023.

Fuel, chemical and metal agents contend with highly volatile global commodity prices and industrial production and construction output fluctuations. The COVID-19 outbreak severely pressured global economic growth causing production levels to tumble and stymieing oil demand. Oil prices collapsed and fell into negative territory for the first time, with producers paying clients to take the surplus off their hands. Record-low oil prices had a substantial contractionary effect on revenue as most agents work off a commission basis. China's steel production was curbed by strict social distancing measures, lagging behind global steel demand, forcing the prices of some steel products to quadruple between September 2021 and September 2020. Steel prices dropped in 2022 as spiralling inflation and strict lockdowns in China ignited demand uncertainty, hitting steel-related commissions. Over the five years through 2024-25, agents' revenue is forecast to contract at a compound annual rate of 9% to £74.1 billion. As crude oil is the primary input in petroleum, chemicals and fertilisers, the Russia-Ukraine conflict sparked surges in the prices of related products. In 2022, the price of Brent crude oil reached its highest level since 2014, helping drive revenue growth and profit in 2022-23. As supply concerns continue in 2024-25 for steel and crude oil, revenue is expected to grow by 21.8%. Looking forward, the transition to a net zero carbon emission economy will shift the focus of many downstream buyers away from fossil fuels and petroleum-based products and towards renewable energy sources. The Agricultural Bill passed in 2020 and detailed the phasing out of direct farmer subsidies by 2024. Subsidies will fall from £2.4 billion to £900 million over this period, with delinked payments replacing them, disincentivising crop production and fertiliser use. Green policies like banning new petrol and diesel car sales by 2030 will cut fossil-fuel-related sales and boost the sale of battery metals like lithium used in electric vehicles. Industry-wide revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 18% to reach £169.6 billion over the five years through 2029-30.

A comparative table of weekly UK wholesale market prices across key energy commodities, including gas, electricity, coal, EUA carbon, UKA carbon, and Brent crude oil. The table includes current, previous, and year-on-year values for both day-ahead and year-ahead contracts, as well as 12-month highs and lows.

In May 2025, the average monthly price of the Urals crude oil, Russia's major export oil brand, was approximately ***** U.S. dollars per barrel, having decreased from the previous month. In 2020, the price of the Urals experienced a considerable decrease at the beginning of the year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, dropping to as low as **** U.S. dollars per barrel in April. What is the purpose of the Russian oil price cap? In early December 2022, the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom (UK), and the United States), the European Union (EU), and Australia formed the Price Cap Coalition and imposed a price cap of 60 U.S. dollars per barrel on oil originating in Russia. The aim of the price ceiling is to decrease Russia’s earnings from oil exports and thereby limit the Russian government’s budget to finance the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the cap is meant to ensure that Russia continues to supply oil to emerging economies, though at a discounted price. With the cap in place, Russia cannot sell oil at a higher price even to third countries if the oil tankers are financed or insured by members of the Price Cap Coalition. In early February 2023, a price cap of 100 U.S. dollars per barrel was imposed on Russian refined oil products. Global dependence on Russian oil China was Russia’s leading crude oil export destination, with the value of exports measured at nearly **** billion U.S. dollars in 2021. In physical terms, Russia supplied around *** million metric tons of crude oil to China in 2024, being the leading crude oil import origin in the country ahead of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, European countries were major consumers of Russian oil prior to the war in Ukraine. For instance, Russia accounted for over ** percent of oil and petroleum products imported into Slovakia in 2020. To compare, the dependence rate stood at nearly ** percent in Lithuania, ** percent in Germany, and ** percent in the UK.

In 2023, Dubai Fateh had an average price of 82.09 U.S. dollars per barrel, down from the 96.38 U.S. dollars per barrel compared to the previous year. Dubai Crude (Fateh) oil price Dubai Crude (Fateh) is the most important crude oil benchmark for Asia. Dubai Crude originated in Dubai in the Persian Gulf. Another name for this crude oil is Fateh. The name Fateh comes from an offshore oil field, located some 60 miles from Dubai, and is, therefore, part of the United Arab Emirates. One of the advantages of Dubai Crude compared to other Persian Gulf crude oils, and a main reason why it is used as an oil marker, is its instant availability. Dubai Crude, behind West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and UK Brent, is one of the lighter crude oils. On the other hand, Dubai Crude contains some two percent of sulphur, and thus is part of the so-called sour crude oils. In comparison, UK Brent contains 0.37 percent of sulphur, which means it is a so-called sweet crude oil. The refining of sour and heavier oils is always more expensive than it is for sweeter and lighter oils. Dubai Crude, the same as OPEC oils, is mostly refined and traded in the Asian region. The other two crucial oil benchmarks are West Texas Intermediate (WTI), which is especially important for North America, and UK Brent (Brent Crude), which dominates the European oil market. Such benchmarks are essential for referencing the many types and grades of oil on the worldwide market.With the exception of the years 2009 and 2010, there was a stable increase in the price for one barrel of Dubai-Fateh crude oil in the last ten years, until 2015, when the price dropped by half. The mean price per barrel stood at approximately 24 U.S. dollars in 2002. By 2012, this price had increased to more than 109 U.S. dollars, but dropped to 51.20 U.S. dollars per barrel 2015.

➡️A data set on select, monthly commodity prices made available by the World Bank in its so-called "pink sheet." These data are potentially useful for applications on data gathering, inflation adjustments, indexing, cointegration, general economic riff-raff, and more.

Details

All data are in nominal USD. Adjust (to taste) accordingly.

Data compiled by the World Bank for its historical data on commodity prices. The oil price data come from a combination of sources, supposedly Bloomberg, Energy Intelligence Group (EIG), Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the World Bank. Data on coffee prices come from Bloomberg, Complete Coffee Coverage, the International Coffee Organization, Thomson Reuters Datastream, and the World Bank. Data on tea prices for Colombo auctions come the from International Tea Committee, Tea Broker's Association of London, Tea Exporters Association Sri Lanka, and the World Bank. Data on tea prices for Kolkata auctions come from the International Tea Committee, Tea Board India, Tea Broker's Association of London, and the World Bank. Tea prices for Mombasa/Nairobi auctions come from African Tea Brokers Limited, International Tea Committee, Tea Broker's Association of London, and the World Bank. EU sugar price data come from International Monetary Fund, World Bank. Sugar price data for the United States come from Bloomberg and World Bank. Global sugar price data come from Bloomberg, International Sugar Organization, Thomson Reuters Datastream, and the World Bank.

This data set effectively deprecates the sugar_price and coffee_price data sets in this package. Both may be removed at a later point.

Natural gas fell to 3.66 USD/MMBtu on June 30, 2025, down 2.07% from the previous day. Over the past month, Natural gas's price has fallen 0.88%, but it is still 47.76% higher than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Natural gas - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on June of 2025.