The 2025 annual OPEC oil price stood at ***** U.S. dollars per barrel, as of May. This would be lower than the 2024 average, which amounted to ***** U.S. dollars. The abbreviation OPEC stands for Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and includes Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates. The aim of the OPEC is to coordinate the oil policies of its member states. It was founded in 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq. The OPEC Reference Basket The OPEC crude oil price is defined by the price of the so-called OPEC (Reference) basket. This basket is an average of prices of the various petroleum blends that are produced by the OPEC members. Some of these oil blends are, for example: Saharan Blend from Algeria, Basra Light from Iraq, Arab Light from Saudi Arabia, BCF 17 from Venezuela, et cetera. By increasing and decreasing its oil production, OPEC tries to keep the price between a given maxima and minima. Benchmark crude oil The OPEC basket is one of the most important benchmarks for crude oil prices 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. The 2025 fall in prices was the result of weakened demand outlooks exacerbated by extensive U.S. trade tariffs.

Palm Oil rose to 3,993 MYR/T on July 1, 2025, up 0.15% from the previous day. Over the past month, Palm Oil's price has risen 2.97%, but it is still 2.37% lower than a year ago, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Palm Oil - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

The global fuel energy price index stood at 153.15 index points in May 2025, up from 100 in the base year 2016. Figures decreased that month due to lower heating fuel demand and a fall in crude oil prices. The fuel energy index includes prices for crude oil, natural gas, coal, and propane. Supply constraints across multiple commodities The global natural gas price index surged nearly 11-fold, and the global coal price index rose almost seven-fold from summer 2020 to summer 2022. This notable escalation was largely attributed to the Russia-Ukraine war, exerting increased pressure on the global supply chain. Global ramifications of the Russia-Ukraine war The invasion of Ukraine by Russia played a role in the surge of global inflation rates. Notably, Argentina bore the brunt, experiencing a hyperinflation rate of 92 percent in 2022. The war also exerted a significant impact on global gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Saudi Arabia emerged with a notable increase of nearly three percent, as several Western nations shifted their exports from Russia to Middle Eastern countries due to the sanctions imposed on the former.

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.

Due to the recent hyperinflation crisis in Venezuela, the average inflation rate in Venezuela is estimated to be around 225 percent in 2026. However, this is well below the peak of 63,000 percent observed in 2018.What is hyperinflation?In short, hyperinflation is a very high inflation rate that accelerates quickly. It can be caused by a government printing huge amounts of new money to pay for its expenses. The subsequent rapid increase of prices causes the country’s currency to lose value and shortages in goods to occur. People then typically start hoarding goods, which become even more scarce and expensive, money becomes worthless, financial institutions go bankrupt, and eventually, the country’s economy collapses. The Venezuelan descent into hyperinflationIn Venezuela, the economic catastrophe began with government price controls and plummeting oil prices, which caused state-run oil companies to go bankrupt. The government then starting printing new money to cope, thus prices rose rapidly, unemployment increased, and GDP collapsed, all of which was exacerbated by international sanctions. Today, many Venezuelans are emigrating to find work and supplies elsewhere, and population growth is at a decade-low. Current president Nicolás Maduro does not seem inclined to steer away from his course of price controls and economic mismanagement, so the standard of living in the country is not expected to improve significantly anytime soon.

In 2019, the inflation rate of the United Arab Emirates was at 1.93 percent compared to the previous year. For 2018, estimates show a sharp increase of over 3.07 percent, before inflation slumps back to around 2 percent in 2029.

Oil is keeping everything afloat

The economy of the United Arab Emirates heavily relies on oil and its respective revenues. The UAE possess vast stable oil reserves, and crude oil production is steadily increasing. Naturally, oil exports – mostly to the Asia-Pacific region – are the main economic driver, and the industrial and services sectors have divided generation of GDP almost evenly among themselves. Oil has caused the UAE economy to thrive and caused an impressive trade surplus just a few years ago, before a dramatic (but still not overly concerning) slump.

Oil is dragging everything down

When oil prices decreased, so did the trade surplus, and inflation mirrored this by skyrocketing from around one percent to over four percent in three years. Another three years later, in 2018, it spiked again at over 3.5 percent – another response to dropping oil prices. Diversifying the economy is one way for the UAE to diminish oil’s monopoly; tourism has been a growing industry over the last few years and might just stabilize inflation if another oil price slump hits.

Interactive chart illustrating the history of Henry Hub natural gas prices. The prices shown are in U.S. dollars.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 124.9 points in January 2025, down 2.1 points from December 2024. The highest value for the index in the past 23 years was reached in March 2022. However, the rate of food price increases has been decreasing since.

Food prices worldwide The annual FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) by category shows that the price of vegetable oils grew by a particularly large margin. One of the factors that influenced the spike in oil prices worldwide during 2020 and 2021 were the supply-chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, after the war in Ukraine, shipping costs and grain prices also had a noticeable impact on global food prices. Global food prices are calculated to have increased by 3.68 percent, due to changes in shipping costs and grain prices. The European Union (EU) has experienced a particularly high increase in the annual consumer prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages, as compared to other selected countries worldwide. Inflation in Europe

The inflation rate for food in the EU grew from 0.2 percent in May 2021 to 19.2 percent in March 2023, as compared to the same month in the previous year. In the following months, the food inflation started decreasing again, reaching 1.86 percent in April 2024. The overall inflation rate in the Euro area reached its peak in December 2022 at 9.2 percent. The rate has since fallen to 2.4 percent in December 2024. As measured by the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), inflation rates in Europe were highest in Turkey, North Macedonia, and Romania as of December 2024.

Graph and download economic data for US Regular All Formulations Gas Price (GASREGW) from 1990-08-20 to 2025-06-23 about gas, commodities, and USA.

The Wholesale Trade sector has expanded, overcoming the volatility that has defined recent years. The sector has benefited from a rise in demand for goods from the Retail Trade sector (IBISWorld report 44-45) on account of greater consumer spending, which has been driven by increasing disposable income. The sector has also benefited from the steady flow of goods traded with the United States, necessitating their distribution. However, some of the sector’s growth has stemmed partly from the higher selling prices of downstream products that resulted from high inflation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has crimped profit margins across the sector as wholesalers with low market power could not entirely pass on higher costs to downstream markets. Still, with US GDP rising faster than that of any other developed economy over the past five years, sector-wide revenue is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% to $16.4 trillion through the end of 2025. Many industries that depend on commodity prices, especially those that move energy products down the supply chain, have been impacted by the volatility of price swings. While the world price of crude oil collapsed as a result of a global economic slowdown in 2020 and the petroleum and petroleum products wholesale subsector experienced low prices, the world price of crude oil skyrocketed in 2021 contributing to 13.7% revenue growth across the sector. With global oil prices rising 39.2% in 2022 and inflation pushing prices upward, sector revenue increased 9.0% that same year. The Federal Reserve put the breaks on the economy to tamp down on inflation as a result, and rising interest rates coupled with tempering energy prices resulted in a sector-wide revenue contraction of 5.1% in 2023. Still, sector revenue returned to growth in 2024 and is expected to follow suit in 2025, rising 1.8%. Revenue will continue to grow as the economy expands, generating demand for goods to be moved along the supply chain by wholesalers. The Federal Reserve is expected to continue easing interest rates, a boon to costly durable goods typically purchased on credit. As a result, sector revenue will grow at a CAGR of 2.3% to $18.3 trillion through the end of 2030. However, the potential for disruption will remain present, whether from volatile energy prices for commodity-driven wholesalers, to potential trade disruptions from tariffs threatened by the Trump Administration.

Iran’s inflation rate rose sharply to 34.79 percent in 2019 and was projected to rise another 14 percentage points before slowly starting to decline. Given the recent sanctions by the United States regarding the nuclear deal, this number has both political and economic implications. Political implications President Hassan Rouhani won the 2017 election based on economic promises, many stemming from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Deal. Lifting these sanctions opened the Iranian economy to many opportunities, including the chance to benefit from increased oil exports. The JCPOA was an integral part of the Rouhani campaign, so any economic hardship that is linked to the deal will likely be blamed on the president. Economic implications High inflation leads to high interest rates, which leads to less borrowing. Less borrowing means less investment, which slows economic growth. This slower growth often leads to higher inflation, which is what economists call an inflationary spiral. As such, Iran will have difficulty achieving substantial GDP growth until inflation returns to manageable rates.

The statistic shows the average inflation rate in Canada from 1987 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. The inflation rate is calculated using the price increase of a defined product basket. This product basket contains products and services, on which the average consumer spends money throughout the year. They include expenses for groceries, clothes, rent, power, telecommunications, recreational activities and raw materials (e.g. gas, oil), as well as federal fees and taxes. In 2022, the average inflation rate in Canada was approximately 6.8 percent compared to the previous year. For comparison, inflation in India amounted to 5.56 percent that same year. Inflation in Canada In general, the inflation rate in Canada follows a global trend of decreasing inflation rates since 2011, with the lowest slump expected to occur during 2015, but forecasts show an increase over the following few years. Additionally, Canada's inflation rate is in quite good shape compared to the rest of the world. While oil and gas prices have dropped in Canada much like they have around the world, food and housing prices in Canada have been increasing. This has helped to offset some of the impact of dropping oil and gas prices and the effect this has had on Canada´s inflation rate. The annual consumer price index of food and non-alcoholic beverages in Canada has been steadily increasing over the last decade. The same is true for housing and other price indexes for the country. In general there is some confidence that the inflation rate will not stay this low for long, it is expected to return to a comfortable 2 percent by 2017 if estimates are correct.

The statistic shows the inflation rate in India from 1987 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. The inflation rate is calculated using the price increase of a defined product basket. This product basket contains products and services, on which the average consumer spends money throughout the year. They include expenses for groceries, clothes, rent, power, telecommunications, recreational activities and raw materials (e.g. gas, oil), as well as federal fees and taxes. In 2024, the inflation rate in India was around 4.67 percent compared to the previous year. See figures on India's economic growth for additional information. India's inflation rate and economy Inflation is generally defined as the increase of prices of goods and services over a certain period of time, as opposed to deflation, which describes a decrease of these prices. Inflation is a significant economic indicator for a country. The inflation rate is the rate at which the general rise in the level of prices, goods and services in an economy occurs and how it affects the cost of living of those living in a particular country. It influences the interest rates paid on savings and mortgage rates but also has a bearing on levels of state pensions and benefits received. A 4 percent increase in the rate of inflation in 2011 for example would mean an individual would need to spend 4 percent more on the goods he was purchasing than he would have done in 2010. India’s inflation rate has been on the rise over the last decade. However, it has been decreasing slightly since 2010. India’s economy, however, has been doing quite well, with its GDP increasing steadily for years, and its national debt decreasing. The budget balance in relation to GDP is not looking too good, with the state deficit amounting to more than 9 percent of GDP.

In April 2025, the UK inflation rate was 3.5 percent, with prices rising fastest in the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels sector, which had an inflation rate of 7.8 percent. In this month, prices were rising in all sectors, except for in the clothing and footwear, and furniture sectors. UK inflation falls in 2024 After reaching a peak of 11.1 percent in October 2022, the CPI inflation rate in the UK gradually declined over several months, falling to a low of 1.7 percent by August 2024. An uptick in inflation has occurred since that month, however, and by the end of the year inflation was at 2.5 percent above the Bank of England's target rate of 2 percent. Going into 2025, recent forecasts suggest that over the course of the year, inflation will average out at 2.6 percent, with the 2 percent target not met on an annual basis until at least 2029. Roots of the inflation crisis This long period of high inflation that the UK and much of the world experienced had its roots in the post-pandemic economic recovery of 2021. During that year, as consumer demand returned, global supply chains struggled to return to full capacity, resulting in prices rising. With inflation already elevated going into 2022, Russia's invasion of Ukraine added even more inflationary pressures to the global economy. European markets which were heavily reliant on Russian oil and gas gradually phased out hydrocarbons from their economies. Food prices were also heavily impacted due to Ukraine's difficulty in exporting its agricultural products.

The statistic shows the inflation rate in Australia from 1987 to 2023, with projections up until 2030. The inflation rate is calculated using the price increase of a defined product basket. This product basket contains products and services, on which the average consumer spends money throughout the year. They include expenses for groceries, clothes, rent, power, telecommunications, recreational activities and raw materials (e.g. gas, oil), as well as federal fees and taxes. In 2023, the average inflation rate in Australia was at about 5.62 percent compared to the previous year. Australia's economy Australia has one of the world’s largest economies and is a significant global importer and exporter. It is also labeled as one of the G20 countries, also known as the Group of Twenty, which consists of 20 major economies around the globe. The Australian economy is highly dependent on its mining sector as well as its agricultural sector in order to grow, and it exports the majority of these goods to eastern Asian countries, most prominently China. Large quantities of exports have helped Australia maintain a stable economy and furthered economic expansion, despite being affected by several economic obstacles. Australia’s GDP has seen a significant increase over the past decade, more than doubling its value, and experienced a rather quick recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, which indicates that the country experienced economic growth as well as higher productivity. One of the primary reasons is the further development of the nation’s mining industry coupled with the expansion and success of many Australian mining companies.

In 2023, it was estimated that over 161 million Americans were in some form of employment, while 3.64 percent of the total workforce was unemployed. This was the lowest unemployment rate since the 1950s, although these figures are expected to rise in 2023 and beyond. 1980s-2010s Since the 1980s, the total United States labor force has generally risen as the population has grown, however, the annual average unemployment rate has fluctuated significantly, usually increasing in times of crisis, before falling more slowly during periods of recovery and economic stability. For example, unemployment peaked at 9.7 percent during the early 1980s recession, which was largely caused by the ripple effects of the Iranian Revolution on global oil prices and inflation. Other notable spikes came during the early 1990s; again, largely due to inflation caused by another oil shock, and during the early 2000s recession. The Great Recession then saw the U.S. unemployment rate soar to 9.6 percent, following the collapse of the U.S. housing market and its impact on the banking sector, and it was not until 2016 that unemployment returned to pre-recession levels. 2020s 2019 had marked a decade-long low in unemployment, before the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic saw the sharpest year-on-year increase in unemployment since the Great Depression, and the total number of workers fell by almost 10 million people. Despite the continuation of the pandemic in the years that followed, alongside the associated supply-chain issues and onset of the inflation crisis, unemployment reached just 3.67 percent in 2022 - current projections are for this figure to rise in 2023 and the years that follow, although these forecasts are subject to change if recent years are anything to go by.

Sugar rose to 16.21 USd/Lbs on June 30, 2025, up 2.56% from the previous day. Over the past month, Sugar's price has fallen 3.91%, and is down 19.65% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Sugar - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on June of 2025.

U.S. gasoline prices decreased across all major grades in May 2025. Regular gasoline prices fell to an average of 3.15 U.S. dollars per gallon. In the period of consideration, gasoline prices reached their highest level in June 2022. Differences in fuel grades Fuel grades at U.S. gas stations are differentiated by octane level. Higher grade fuels have higher octane levels, meaning that the fuel can be compressed more in the engine. This enables high-performance engines to create more power. Fuel may also vary from state to state and pump to pump. Some cities also have regulations on gasoline in order to improve air quality. Bioethanol is added to gasoline in some cases to meet the renewable fuel standard. Gasoline-run engines are able to run on blends with a bioethanol percentage of up to 25 percent. Gasoline prices reach historic high Primarily a result of the Russia-Ukraine war and inflation, the annual retail price of gasoline reached a new historic high in 2022, climbing to nearly four U.S. dollars per gallon. By 2023, annual prices had decreased again slightly, reaching 2013 levels.

Retail residential electricity prices in the United States have mostly risen over the last decades. In 2023, prices registered a year-over-year growth of 6.3 percent, the highest growth registered since the beginning of the century. Residential prices are projected to continue to grow by two percent in 2024. Drivers of electricity price growth The price of electricity is partially dependent on the various energy sources used for generation, such as coal, gas, oil, renewable energy, or nuclear. In the U.S., electricity prices are highly connected to natural gas prices. As the commodity is exposed to international markets that pay a higher rate, U.S. prices are also expected to rise, as it has been witnessed during the energy crisis in 2022. Electricity demand is also expected to increase, especially in regions that will likely require more heating or cooling as climate change impacts progress, driving up electricity prices. Which states pay the most for electricity? Electricity prices can vary greatly depending on both state and region. Hawaii has the highest electricity prices in the U.S., at roughly 43 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2023, due to the high costs of crude oil used to fuel the state’s electricity. In comparison, Idaho has one of the lowest retail rates. Much of the state’s energy is generated from hydroelectricity, which requires virtually no fuel. In addition, construction costs can be spread out over decades.

This statistic shows the distribution of the gross domestic product (GDP) across economic sectors in Russia from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, agriculture contributed around 3.35 percent to the GDP of Russia, 30.65 percent came from the industry and 56.88 percent from the service sector. Russia's struggling economy Russia is one of the so-called BRIC countries, the four major emerging markets. It is also considered to be one of the fastest growing economies, being one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of oil, natural gas, metals, wood, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures. In 2015, Russia reported an estimated gross domestic product of about 1.18 billion U.S. dollars, making it one of the countries with the largest gross domestic product in the world. Due to its fast economic expansion, it is also predicted that Russia will have the sixth largest gross domestic product in the world by 2030. Despite a growing economy, Russia's unemployment rate has remained high in recent years. In 2010, the unemployment rate in Russia was at 7.3 percent, and after a slight plunge, it is expected to reach similar heights in the next few years again. Inflation has also increased rapidly in recent years, in 2015, it is expected to double in comparison to 2014, reaching approximately 18 percent - the highest inflation rate of the decade. 2015 is also marked by a large decline of Russia's gross domestic product: Between 2014 and 2015, GDP decreased by almost 5 thousand U.S. dollars. It is, however, expected to recover until 2020. Despite a trade deficit in the services sector from 2003 to 2013, the services sector in Russia has employed yearly over 55 percent of the workforce since 1999.