Fuel consumption statistics show how much fuel vehicles use, how efficiently they travel, what fuel costs look like, and how consumption relates to emissions. The measures below distinguish U.S. on-road estimates, new-vehicle trends, global oil demand, and preliminary emissions data.
Key Fuel Consumption Statistics
Here are the most broadly useful fuel consumption figures in the supplied evidence:
- In 2023, all U.S. motor vehicles consumed 176,795,288 thousand gallons.
- In 2023, U.S. light-duty vehicles consumed 127,479,899 thousand gallons.
- In 2023, U.S. short-wheelbase light-duty vehicles averaged 24.7 miles per gallon.
- In 2023, U.S. long-wheelbase light-duty vehicles averaged 17.9 miles per gallon.
- In 2023, U.S. combination trucks averaged 6.7 miles per gallon.
- In 2023, U.S. all motor vehicles averaged 621 gallons consumed per vehicle.
- In 2023, U.S. buses averaged 2,477 gallons consumed per vehicle.
- In 2022, U.S. all motor vehicles consumed 172,416,463 thousand gallons.
- In 2022, U.S. all motor vehicles averaged 18.5 miles per gallon.
- In 2024, U.S. highway travel totaled about 3.3 trillion vehicle-miles.
- In 2024, U.S. highway fuel consumption totaled about 172 billion gallons.
- In 2024, average U.S. highway fuel economy reached 19.2 miles per gallon.
- In 2024, average U.S. retail gasoline cost was $3.43 per gallon.
- In 1973, average U.S. highway fuel economy was 11.9 miles per gallon.
- From 1975 to 2023, U.S. vehicle fuel economy improved from 13.1 to 27.1 miles per gallon for the EPA’s new-vehicle/light-duty trend.
- In 2024, global oil consumption rose 0.8% to 193 exajoules.
- In 2024, liquid biofuels exceeded 4% of global transport-fuel consumption.
- In 2023, U.S. motor gasoline and diesel consumption generated 1,489 million metric tons of energy-related carbon dioxide.
Contents
- U.S. road fuel consumption by vehicle type
- Average fuel consumption per vehicle
- Miles-per-gallon fuel consumption data
- U.S. fuel consumption trends across years
- Long-run U.S. efficiency and fuel costs
- Global fuel consumption and emissions context
U.S. Road Fuel Consumption Statistics by Vehicle Type
The Federal Highway Administration’s 2023 estimates cover registered U.S. highway vehicle categories. They are not measurements of portable generators or all fuel uses, and FHWA bases the national estimates on state HPMS, fuel-consumption, registration, and modeling inputs.
| U.S. vehicle category | Fuel consumed in 2023 | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Short-wheelbase light-duty vehicles | 88,145,179 | thousand gallons |
| Long-wheelbase light-duty vehicles | 39,334,720 | thousand gallons |
| Single-unit trucks | 17,162,839 | thousand gallons |
| Combination trucks | 29,296,989 | thousand gallons |
| Buses | 2,396,495 | thousand gallons |
| Motorcycles | 459,065 | thousand gallons |
| All light-duty vehicles | 127,479,899 | thousand gallons |
| All motor vehicles | 176,795,288 | thousand gallons |
Source: Table VM-1 – Highway Statistics 2023. The FHWA values are national estimates.
Short-wheelbase light-duty vehicles accounted for the largest listed category at 88,145,179 thousand gallons, while long-wheelbase light-duty vehicles used 39,334,720 thousand gallons. The table’s heavy-truck subtotal, defined by FHWA as single-unit 2-axle/6-tire-or-more and combination trucks, was 46,459,828 thousand gallons.
Average Fuel Consumption per Vehicle Statistics
Total fuel use and fuel use per vehicle answer different questions. The FHWA averages below describe consumption across the registered vehicle population in each category during 2023.
| Vehicle category | Average gallons per vehicle, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Motorcycles | 48 |
| Short-wheelbase light-duty vehicles | 447 |
| All light-duty vehicles | 492 |
| Long-wheelbase light-duty vehicles | 633 |
| Single-unit trucks | 1,484 |
| Buses | 2,477 |
| FHWA heavy-truck subtotal | 3,120 |
| Combination trucks | 8,813 |
| All motor vehicles | 621 |
Source: Table VM-1 – Highway Statistics 2023. The heavy-truck figure combines the specified truck categories.
Combination trucks had the highest category average at 8,813 gallons per vehicle, while motorcycles averaged 48 gallons. All light-duty vehicles averaged 492 gallons per vehicle, compared with 621 gallons across all motor vehicles.
These are estimated annual category averages, not a guarantee for an individual vehicle. Vehicle activity, fleet composition, and FHWA’s category definitions all affect the interpretation.
Miles-per-Gallon Fuel Consumption Statistics
Miles per gallon expresses estimated travel relative to fuel consumed. In the 2023 FHWA ratios, motorcycles and short-wheelbase light-duty vehicles recorded the highest values among the listed categories, while combination trucks recorded the lowest.
| Vehicle category | Average miles per gallon, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Motorcycles | 44.0 |
| Short-wheelbase light-duty vehicles | 24.7 |
| All light-duty vehicles | 22.6 |
| Long-wheelbase light-duty vehicles | 17.9 |
| Single-unit trucks | 7.8 |
| Buses | 7.4 |
| FHWA heavy-truck subtotal | 7.1 |
| Combination trucks | 6.7 |
| All motor vehicles | 18.4 |
Source: Table VM-1 – Highway Statistics 2023. These are FHWA national ratios of estimated travel to fuel consumed.
The category spread matters when comparing fuel consumption. A combination truck’s 6.7 miles per gallon describes a vehicle category with a different duty cycle and load profile from a motorcycle at 44.0 miles per gallon, so the figures should not be read as like-for-like operating conditions.
U.S. Fuel Consumption Trends Across Highway Categories
FHWA’s 2022 and 2023 estimates provide a recent comparison of fuel use. The values are national estimates, and FHWA notes that vehicle-miles-traveled figures may differ from earlier publications.
| Category | 2022 fuel consumed (thousand gallons) | 2023 fuel consumed (thousand gallons) |
|---|---|---|
| All motor vehicles | 172,416,463 | 176,795,288 |
| All light-duty vehicles | 123,979,262 | 127,479,899 |
| Short-wheelbase light-duty vehicles | 86,040,199 | 88,145,179 |
| Long-wheelbase light-duty vehicles | 37,939,063 | 39,334,720 |
| Combination trucks | 28,218,175 | 29,296,989 |
| Single-unit trucks | 17,180,850 | 17,162,839 |
| Buses | 2,497,605 | 2,396,495 |
| Motorcycles | 540,572 | 459,065 |
Source: Table VM-1 – Highway Statistics 2023. The 2022 and 2023 entries are estimates rather than a complete causal explanation of year-to-year change.
All motor vehicles averaged 18.5 miles per gallon in 2022 and 18.4 miles per gallon in 2023. Fuel consumption rose for all light-duty vehicles, short-wheelbase light-duty vehicles, long-wheelbase light-duty vehicles, and combination trucks in the listed estimates, while single-unit trucks, buses, and motorcycles were lower in 2023.
Long-Run U.S. Fuel Economy, Travel, and Cost Data
The FHWA’s 2024 summary places recent fuel use alongside travel, fuel economy, and retail gasoline prices. It reports about 3.3 trillion U.S. vehicle-miles of highway travel and about 172 billion gallons of highway fuel consumption in 2024.
| Measure | Period | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| Highway travel | 2024 | About 3.3 trillion vehicle-miles |
| Highway fuel consumption | 2024 | About 172 billion gallons |
| Average highway fuel economy | 1973 | 11.9 mpg |
| Average highway fuel economy | 1994 | 16.7 mpg |
| Average highway fuel economy | 2024 | 19.2 mpg |
| Average monthly retail gasoline cost | 2022 | $4.06 per gallon |
| Average monthly retail gasoline cost | 2024 | $3.43 per gallon |
| Average monthly vehicle miles traveled | 2024 | 275 billion vehicle-miles |
Source: Motor Fuel | Our Nation’s Highways 2026. The gasoline figures are annual averages of monthly EIA retail prices, and the travel figure is an annual average of monthly VMT.
Average U.S. highway fuel economy reached 19.2 miles per gallon in 2024, the highest recorded value in the cited FHWA series. The same series rose from 11.9 miles per gallon in 1973 to 16.7 in 1994 and 19.2 in 2024.
The price observations are annual averages, not a single nationwide pump price on a particular day. The 2022 average was $4.06 per gallon, compared with $3.43 per gallon in 2024.
EPA reports a separate new-vehicle/light-duty trend: U.S. vehicle fuel economy improved from 13.1 miles per gallon in 1975 to 27.1 miles per gallon in 2023, and new U.S. vehicles in 2023 emitted less than half the carbon dioxide per mile of 1975 models. This EPA measure is not the same population as FHWA’s on-road fleet average.
Source: 50 Years of EPA’s Automotive Trends Report.
Global Fuel Consumption Statistics and Emissions Context
Global oil and transport-fuel measures provide a broader context, but they cover energy demand rather than the U.S. registered-vehicle categories used above. The International Energy Agency estimated that global oil consumption rose 0.8% in 2024 to 193 exajoules, after global oil-demand growth of 1.9% in 2023.
The IEA also reported that oil’s share of total global energy demand fell below 30% in 2024, compared with a historical peak of 46%. Road transport accounted for 5% of global oil-demand growth in energy terms from 2022 onward, while liquid biofuels exceeded 4% of global transport-fuel consumption in 2024.
Source: Oil – Global Energy Review 2025. These are global estimates, and biofuel accounting differs from fossil-fuel accounting.
U.S. fuel consumption also has an emissions dimension. EIA’s preliminary 2023 data estimated that motor gasoline and diesel consumption generated 1,489 million metric tons of energy-related carbon dioxide, about 31% of the U.S. national total.
- Motor gasoline accounted for 1,033 million metric tons, about 22% of the U.S. energy-related total in 2023.
- Diesel fuel accounted for 455 million metric tons, about 9% of the U.S. energy-related total in 2023.
- Gasoline and diesel together represented about 80% of U.S. transportation-sector carbon dioxide emissions in 2023.
- The U.S. transportation sector represented about 39% of total U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2023.
Source: How much carbon dioxide is produced from U.S. gasoline and diesel fuel consumption?. EIA identifies the 2023 figures as preliminary, and biofuel combustion carbon dioxide is excluded from national inventories.