Five years after the COVID-19 national emergency was declared, gasoline demand, distillate demand, and jet fuel demand all remain less than pre-pandemic averages.
In April 2020 (the first full month following the March 13 declaration of the COVID-19 national emergency), U.S. gasoline demand fell to 5.9 million b/d, the lowest since January 1974. In April 2025, U.S. gasoline demand averaged 8.9 million barrels per day (b/d), 52% higher than it was in April 2020 but below the April 2019 average of 9.4 million b/d.
Gasoline demand gradually increased in the months following the emergency declaration. On an annual basis, between 2016 and 2019, U.S. gasoline demand averaged 9.3 million b/d. In 2020, it fell to 8.0 million b/d before averaging 8.9 million b/d in 2023 and 2024.
Increased vehicle efficiency has offset increased driving activity, measured as vehicle miles traveled (VMT). U.S. VMT reached an all-time high in 2024, at 9.0 billion miles per day, which was higher than the 2016–19 average of 8.8 billion VMT/d. However, increased fuel efficiency and electrification of the vehicle fleet has resulted in less gasoline consumption despite increased driving activity.
In May 2025, petroleum distillate fuel oil demand was 3.8 million b/d, 10% (0.3 million b/d) more than in May 2020, when demand for distillate fell to its lowest point following the COVID-19 declaration. Because distillate fuel oil is largely used in shipping goods and other economic activity, distillate consumption was less affected by COVID-19 mitigation efforts than gasoline and jet fuel, which are more closely tied to commuting and personal travel.
In 2024, petroleum distillate demand averaged 3.8 million b/d, less than the 4.1 million b/d consumed in 2019. The primary cause for this decline was substitution of petroleum diesel with biofuels, namely renewable diesel, which has gained a larger market share of the diesel pool due to clean-fuel programs that provide incentives for biofuels. In 2019, only 110,000 b/d of renewable diesel and biodiesel were consumed as product, whereas in 2024, 310,000 b/d were consumed. Including biodiesel and renewable diesel, total distillate demand in 2024 was closest to pre-pandemic levels, at only 1% below 2019 distillate demand.