Sneak Peek: How Consumer Gasoline Demand has Fluctuated Alongside the Conflict in Iran

Early DemandPro data, based on actual gallons sold at approximately 35,000 gas stations across the United States, suggests that unleaded gasoline demand has declined as a result of higher pump prices, although perhaps not to the extent some initially anticipated.

The charts linked below illustrate that all five published regions recorded lower average monthly unleaded gasoline sales in March than in February. While a February-to-March decline also appeared in 2025 and 2024, the 2026 drop was consistently steeper than in the previous years.

CONCLUSION AND FINDINGS
This suggests the seasonal slowdown was more severe this year as retail gasoline prices climbed in response to the conflict in Iran. Next month’s RetailCents issue will likely take a deeper look at this topic as additional data becomes available.