FX & Commodity Almanac

ECB fixings to 16 Oct 2026 · World Bank prices to September 2026

Energy · World Bank monthly average

What is the Japan LNG import price price and how has it changed?

Japan LNG import price averaged 14.25 US dollars per million British thermal units in September 2026, according to the World Bank Pink Sheet. That is 6.7% below Aug 2026 and 24.2% above Sept 2025, and in the top quarter of all monthly averages since January 2000.

Sept 2026 average
14.25$/mmbtu · US dollars per million British thermal units
Month on month
▼ −6.7%from 15.27 in Aug 2026
Year on year
▲ +24.2%from 11.47 in Sept 2025
12-month range
11.10–15.65low Oct 2025 · high Apr 2026

The last five years

Japan LNG import price, monthly average price, last five yearsJapan LNG import price from 11.44 $/mmbtu in Sept 2021 to 14.25 in Sept 2026; five-year high 23.73 (Sept 2022), low 11.10 (Oct 2025). 1012141618202224 20222023202420252026
Monthly averages, Sept 2021 – Sept 2026, $/mmbtu. Yellow dot: latest month.

What the record shows

  1. Over five years the price ranged from 11.10 (Oct 2025) to 23.73 (Sept 2022). Sept 2026 sits 25% of the way from that low to the high.
  2. Since January 2000 the record high is 23.73 (Sept 2022) and the low 3.96 (Apr 2002). The latest month is higher than 79% of the 321 monthly averages in that span, in nominal dollars (not adjusted for inflation).
  3. The highest full-year average since 2000 was 2022 (18.43); the lowest was 2002 (4.28).
  4. Annualised volatility of monthly changes over the past five years was 30.8%, higher than the 21.2% for the whole record since 2000. Monthly averages smooth out intra-month swings, so daily markets move more than this.
  5. Five years earlier, in Sept 2021, the average was 11.44: the price is 24.6% above that level.

Yearly averages

Japan LNG import price yearly average, change, high month and low month
YearAveragevs prior yearHighest monthLowest month
2026 9 mo. 13.10 ▲ +8.9% 15.65 Apr 11.32 Feb
2025 12.04 ▼ −6.3% 13.19 Jan 11.10 Oct
2024 12.84 ▼ −10.7% 14.34 Jan 11.88 Apr
2023 14.39 ▼ −21.9% 20.19 Jan 12.21 Sep
2022 18.43 ▲ +71.2% 23.73 Sep 14.69 Jan
2021 10.76 ▲ +29.5% 15.32 Dec 7.90 Mar
2020 8.31 ▼ −21.3% 10.21 Mar 5.88 Sep
2019 10.57 ▼ −1.0% 12.01 Jan 9.98 Oct
2018 10.67 ▲ +24.0% 12.00 Dec 9.34 Jan
2017 8.61 ▲ +16.7% 9.10 May 8.04 Jan
2016 7.37 ▼ −32.6% 8.56 Feb 6.27 May
2015 10.94 ▼ −31.8% 16.19 Jan 9.08 Dec
2014 16.04 ▲ +0.5% 16.79 Apr 15.16 Sep
2013 15.96 ▼ −3.6% 16.61 Jun 14.96 Sep
2012 16.55 ▲ +12.9% 18.11 Jul 15.00 Nov
2011 14.66 ▲ +35.1% 16.78 Nov 11.45 Jan
2010 10.85 ▲ +21.4% 11.39 May 10.02 Jan
2009 8.94 ▼ −28.7% 12.71 Jan 7.18 Jun
2008 12.53 ▲ +63.0% 15.06 Nov 9.94 Jan
2007 7.68 ▲ +8.6% 9.18 Dec 6.86 Mar
2006 7.07 ▲ +18.1% 7.65 Sep 6.53 Jan

Average = simple mean of the monthly averages published for that year. Rows in italics are incomplete years. Table shows 2006 onward; the charts and statistics use the full record from Jan 2000.

Since January 2000

Japan LNG import price, monthly average price since January 2000Japan LNG import price monthly averages from Jan 2000 to Sept 2026; highest 23.73 $/mmbtu in Sept 2022, lowest 3.96 in Apr 2002. 0510152025 200020032006200920122015201820212024
Monthly averages, nominal US dollars ($/mmbtu).

Largest one-month moves since 2000

MonthFromToMove
Apr 202611.4215.65▲ +37.0%
Nov 202112.3815.25▲ +23.2%
Jul 202215.5318.88▲ +21.6%
Mar 20219.887.90▼ −20.0%
Aug 20207.796.34▼ −18.6%

What exactly is being priced?

Liquefied natural gas (Japan), import price, c.i.f.; the two most recent months are World Bank estimates. The World Bank publishes the series as a monthly average in US dollars per million British thermal units ($/mmbtu). Benchmark definitions occasionally change, as noted above, so very long comparisons mix slightly different contracts. See commodity price units explained for converting units.

Sources