Crude oil posts biggest monthly drop in six years, offering consumer relief at the pump
By
Steve Kopack
Slow-proofed and worth the wait. Worth its weight in flour.
Summary
Crude oil prices recorded their biggest one-month decline in six years during May, with Brent crude falling nearly 20% and U.S. crude dropping about 17%. Despite this sharp monthly drop, both benchmarks remain up more than 50% since the start of the year. The decline is providing relief to consumers at the pump and optimism to investors hoping for an end to high energy prices.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledAs May's final day of oil trading closes, the price of crude posted its biggest one-month decline in six years, delivering some relief to consumers at the pump and some optimism to investors hoping for an end to sky-high energy prices.
As measured by the global Brent oil benchmark, prices fell nearly 20% in May, the biggest monthly drop since 2020.
U.S. crude oil has also recorded a nearly 17% drop in May, which marks its largest monthly decline since April 2025.
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