Americans use more than a gallon of gasoline per person each day

Americans used about 385 million gallons of gasoline per day in 2015. With about 323 million people in the United States in 2015, that calculates to more than a gallon of gasoline every day for each person.

Gasoline is the primary transportation fuel used in the United States

Gasoline is one of the major fuels consumed in the United States and is the main product that U.S. oil refineries produce.

Most gasoline is used in cars and light trucks
Hundreds of cars in a traffic jam

Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)

U.S. consumers use gasoline in:

  • Cars, sport utility vehicles, light trucks, and motorcycles
  • Recreational vehicles and boats
  • Small aircraft
  • Equipment and tools used in construction, farming, forestry, and landscaping
  • Electricity generators for portable and emergency power supply

Gasoline is the primary transportation fuel used in the United States

In 2015, gasoline accounted for about 60% of total transportation sector energy consumption, 47% of all petroleum consumption, and 17% of total U.S. energy consumption.

Light-duty vehicles (cars, sport utility vehicles, and small trucks) account for about 90% of all gasoline consumption in the United States.1

1. Estimates from the Annual Energy Outlook 2016, Reference case tables 2 and 37