Gas prices nationwide have plunged to their lowest level in over four years, according to data from the Dallas-based fuel savings platform GasBuddy, with a gallon of regular gas at the pump costing drivers an average of $2.897.

"According to GasBuddy data, the national average has just slipped below $2.90 per gallon for the first time since May 2, 2021," Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, wrote on X on Sunday.

"At the current level of $2.897/gal (according to GasBuddy), the national average price of gasoline is at its lowest level in 1,680 days," he added.

Newsweek contacted De Haan and the White House for comment by email on Monday outside standard working hours.

Why It Matters

Rampant inflation and rising gas prices during the Biden administration were significant sources of unhappiness for American voters, propelling them toward Republican candidate Donald Trump, who promised to make the cost of living cheaper.

"When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One," Trump said in August 2024. Almost one year into his second mandate, the president has yet to keep his promise—and voters are getting impatient and frustrated.

Trump’s approval rating has dipped in recent weeks, with a New York Times analysis of public polling showing that 55 percent of U.S. voters disapproved of the president’s performance while 42 percent approved of it. Voters’ approval of Trump’s handling of the economy, in particular, has plunged from 43 percent in July to 36 percent in November.

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What To Know

Already in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, "nearly every state saw average gas prices fall," De Haan said in a recent blog post, adding, "with the national average dipping below $3 per gallon for several consecutive days."

Now, Americans are paying less for gas than they were during the Biden administration. Based on GasBuddy data, a gallon of regular gas cost a nationwide average of $2.908 on December 8—down from a week earlier ($2.950), a month earlier ($3.079) and a year earlier ($2.995).

California still had the highest gas price in the nation, at $4.414 per gallon, while the lowest price was found in Oklahoma, where a gallon of regular gas cost an average of $2.298.

But experts do not credit the dip in gas prices to the Trump administration’s policies.

"With refinery maintenance largely complete and OPEC increasing oil production for December, oil prices have struggled. Combine those factors and you have a solid recipe for continued downward pressure on gas prices in the weeks ahead," De Haan said in the blog.

What People Are Saying

**Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, wrote on X: **"Gas prices don’t need a recession to fall. Sometimes the market just… works. Not every cheaper gallon is a harbinger of doom—sometimes it’s just supply catching up to demand."

President Donald Trump told reporters in November: "Every price is down. The biggest price is energy. We’re at almost $2 for gasoline."

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Politico: "There is no disputing the fact that President Trump’s energy dominance agenda is the reason Americans are paying less at the gas pump.

"President Trump has rolled back Biden’s burdensome regulations which has allowed oil and gas companies to ‘DRILL, BABY, DRILL’ to capitalize on the liquid gold under our feet."

What Happens Next

On the day Trump entered the White House, the average price for a gallon of regular gas nationwide was $3.125, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA).

While gas prices have fallen below $3 nationwide and are now lower than they have been in over four years, Trump is still falling short of his campaign pledge to get "gasoline below $2 a gallon."

According to De Haan, "a few dozen stations" around the country are already offering gas under $2 per gallon, "and we could see that number grow as we move further into the holiday season."

He added, "It couldn’t come at a better time for Americans—with relief arriving just as the holidays kick off."