It’s summer. You’re taking that long-awaited road trip, perhaps for the first time since the pandemic. Your first stop, a gas station. Cue the sticker shock.
In the United States and many other countries, prices have soared as pandemic restrictions eased and fuel demands increased. Labor shortages, shuttered refineries and the war in Ukraine have limited supplies, pushing prices even higher.
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Even as prices have ticked down ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, Americans are still paying between $4 to $7 per gallon. Filling half a tank of a Toyota Camry — one of the world’s most popular sedans — costs about $40. If you’re driving a 2010 Camry — a model year we’re using based on the average age of cars on U.S. roads — you’ll go about 32 miles per gallon.
And that means $40 will get you around 250 miles down the highway.
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But how far would $40 take you in the rest of the world? While U.S. costs at the pump hit records in June, they were lower than those in other countries with the largest economies, including France, Canada, China and Britain, but higher than those in other top oil producing nations such as Russia and Saudi Arabia.
How far $40 of gas will get you
in the countries with the
largest economies
High income
100
200
300 miles
Japan
U.S.
247 miles
Australia
S. Korea
Canada
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
U.K.
Upper middle income
100
200
300
Russia
Mexico
Brazil
China
Lower middle income
100
200
300
India
Distances shown are for a 2010 Toyota Camry,
which goes 32 miles per gallon.
How far $40 of gas will get you in the
countries with the largest economies
High income
100
200
300 miles
Japan
U.S.
247 miles
Australia
S. Korea
Canada
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
U.K.
Upper middle income
100
200
300
Russia
Mexico
Brazil
China
Lower middle income
100
200
300
India
Distances shown are for a 2010 Toyota Camry,
which goes 32 miles per gallon.
How far $40 of gas will get you in the countries
with the largest economies
High income
100
200
300 miles
Japan
U.S.
247 miles
Australia
South Korea
Canada
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
U.K.
Upper middle income
100
200
300
Russia
Mexico
Brazil
China
Lower middle income
100
200
300
India
Distances shown are for a 2010 Toyota Camry, which goes 32 miles per gallon.
How far $40 of gas will get you in the countries with the largest economies
High income
100
200
300 miles
Japan
U.S.
247 miles
Australia
South Korea
Canada
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
United Kingdom
Upper middle income
100
200
300
Russia
Mexico
Brazil
China
Lower middle income
100
200
300
India
Distances shown are for a 2010 Toyota Camry, which goes 32 miles per gallon.
How much gas your money buys depends on many variables, including taxes, government aid, refining costs, distribution and marketing.
“Oil is a globally traded commodity, and there are not easy substitutes for it,” said Jeff Barron, a petroleum industry economist at the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been “very disruptive” to the global market, he added.
Reporters for The Washington Post spoke to people around the world to see how high fuel costs are affecting their lives and what governments are doing — if anything — to cushion the impact.
Select a country
France
100
200 miles
247
U.S.
France
158
Cost of gas: $8.11/gallon
How much gas cost last summer: $7.01/gallon
Average annual income: $33,724
Government action: Since April 1, France has been offering motorists a rebate on fuel and reimbursing gas stations for the lost revenue. Estimates suggest that’s costing the government over $2 billion.
South Africa
100
200 miles
U.S.
247
South
Africa
228
Cost of gasoline today: $5.61/gallon
How much gas cost last summer: $4.55/gallon
Average annual income: $4,862
Government action: As prices in South Africa rose in June, the government temporarily reduced gas taxes. Many drivers say they feel more help is needed.
Colombia
200
400 miles
Colombia
589
U.S.
247
Cost of gas: $2.17/gallon
How much gas cost last summer: $2.31/gallon
Average annual income: $5,246
Government action: Gas prices in Colombia are among the lowest in Latin America because of the government subsidy. But with the fuel fund now $3 billion in debt, the government has warned it will soon start increasing prices.
South Korea
100
200 miles
U.S.
247
South
Korea
202
Cost of gasoline today: $6.33/gallon
How much gas cost last summer: $5.29/gallon
Average annual income: $25,752
Government action: Prices are the highest they have been in a decade and continue to climb, despite the South Korean government reducing its fuel tax twice.
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United Arab Emirates
300 miles
150
UAE
308
U.S.
247
Cost of gasoline today: $4.15/gallon
How much gas cost last summer: $2.34/gallon
Average annual income: $39,306
Government action: The government hasn’t taken any steps to ease skyrocketing prices. In the last few months, the cost of gas has doubled — the first sharp increase since the UAE deregulated fuel in 2015.
Germany
100
200 miles
U.S.
247
Germany
172
Cost of gas: $7.46/gallon
How much gas cost last summer: $6.81/gallon
Average annual income: $39,093
Government action: The government cut taxes on gas, lowering prices which had been among the highest in Europe. Even with these measures, people are still paying more than $7 per gallon. To help consumers, the cost of public transport also was cut. For around $10, people can travel anywhere in the country on regional trains or buses.
India
100
200 miles
India
257
U.S.
247
Cost of gasoline today: $4.99/gallon
How much gas cost last summer: $5.08/gallon
Average annual income: $1,822
Government action: Surging prices this spring pushed the government to slash gas taxes and negotiate importing discounted oil from Russia, which stabilized costs. India has come under criticism for supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin through these moves, but officials contend they must put their own country first.
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About this story
Gas data from GlobalPetrolPrices.com as of June 27. Vehicle data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy, Efficiency and Renewable Energy. GDP and income data from the World Bank. According to S&P Global Mobility, the average age of cars on U.S. roads is 12.2 years old, which is why we based our calculations on a 2010 Toyota Camry.
Editing by Reem Akkad, Kate Rabinowitz, Joe Moore, and Jayne Orenstein. Design and illustration by Chelsea Conrad. Design and development by Yutao Chen. Graphics by Júlia Ledur. Gerry Shih and Anant Gupta reported from New Dehli. Rick Noack and Ian Trueger reported from Marseille. DeLovie Kwagala reported from Johannesburg. Julie Yoon reported from Seoul. Loveday Morris reported from Berlin. Omnia Al Desoukie reported from Dubai. Samantha Schmidt reported from Bogotá. Chiqui Esteban provided translations. Copy editing by Angela Mecca.
