Brent Oil Price in 2020
The brent oil price fell 21.5% in 2020, from $66.00 at the end of 2019 to $51.80. Its highest close was $68.91 on Jan 6, and its lowest $19.33 on Apr 21. The biggest one-day fall was −24.4% on Apr 21 and the biggest rise +21.0% on Apr 2. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 22.6%.
Brent Oil Price, daily closes 2020
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 2020
What happened, and how the Brent oil moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Monday, February 3 From the dataEnters a bear market: 20% below its peak of $69.02 (September 16, 2019).
- 2
Monday, March 9Dow falls 2,013.76 points (7.8%) after Saudi Arabia cuts oil prices following the collapse of OPEC+ talks. SourceBrent oil: −24.1% that day · −27.0% a month later
- 3
Wednesday, March 11World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a pandemic. SourceBrent oil: −3.8% that day · −11.8% a month later
- 4
Friday, March 27President Trump signs the $2.2 trillion CARES Act economic relief bill. SourceBrent oil: −5.4% that day · −24.1% a month later
- 5
Tuesday, March 31 From the dataBear market low: $22.74, 67.1% below the peak.
- 6
Thursday, April 2 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +21.0%.
- 7
Monday, April 20WTI crude futures settle below zero, at about -$37 a barrel, for the first time in history. SourceBrent oil: −8.9% that day · +24.0% a month later
- 8
Monday, April 20 From the dataEnters a bear market: 20% below its peak of $34.11 (April 3, 2020).
- 9
Tuesday, April 21 From the dataBear market low: $19.33, 43.3% below the peak. Biggest one-day fall of the year: −24.4%.
- 10
Monday, May 18 From the dataBack above its pre-bear-market peak of $34.11 (April 3, 2020).
- 11
Monday, November 9Pfizer and BioNTech report their COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective; US stock indexes hit record highs. SourceBrent oil: +7.5% that day · +23.8% a month later
Biggest days of 2020
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2 | +21.0% | Apr 21 | −24.4% |
| Mar 19 | +14.4% | Mar 9 | −24.1% |
| Apr 3 | +13.9% | Mar 18 | −13.4% |
| May 5 | +13.9% | Mar 16 | −11.2% |
| Apr 30 | +12.1% | Mar 6 | −9.4% |
Volatility: 69.4% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | $58.16 | −11.9% |
| Feb | $50.52 | −13.1% |
| Mar | $22.74 | −55.0% |
| Apr | $25.27 | +11.1% |
| May | $35.33 | +39.8% |
| Jun | $41.15 | +16.5% |
| Jul | $43.30 | +5.2% |
| Aug | $45.28 | +4.6% |
| Sep | $40.95 | −9.6% |
| Oct | $37.46 | −8.5% |
| Nov | $47.59 | +27.0% |
| Dec | $51.80 | +8.8% |
Other Markets in 2020
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Oil Price | −21.5% | $51.80 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2020 | +7.2% | 30,606.48 |
| S&P 500 in 2020 | +16.3% | 3,756.07 |
| Nasdaq Composite in 2020 | +43.6% | 12,888.28 |
| Russell 2000 in 2020 | +18.4% | 1,974.86 |
| Nikkei 225 in 2020 | +16.0% | 27,444.17 |
| Gold in 2020 | +24.7% | $1,895.10 |
| Silver in 2020 | +47.7% | $26.33 |
| WTI crude oil in 2020 | −20.5% | $48.52 |
| US 10-year Treasury yield in 2020 | −1.00 pp | 0.92% |
Brent Oil Price in 2020: FAQ
How much did the brent oil price fall in 2020?
The brent oil price fell 21.5% in 2020, from $66.00 at the end of 2019 to $51.80. Its highest close was $68.91 on Jan 6, and its lowest $19.33 on Apr 21. The biggest one-day fall was −24.4% on Apr 21 and the biggest rise +21.0% on Apr 2. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 22.6%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the brent oil price in 2020?
Highest: $68.91 on January 6, 2020. Lowest: $19.33 on April 21, 2020. It closed higher on 131 of 253 trading days.
What happened to the brent oil price on March 9, 2020?
Dow falls 2,013.76 points (7.8%) after Saudi Arabia cuts oil prices following the collapse of OPEC+ talks. The brent oil price fell 24.1% that day, and was −27.0% a month later.
Data: Europe Brent spot price (EIA) from 1987, ICE Brent futures closes after that. Inflation: US CPI-U. Events marked "From the data" are found automatically from the closing prices; the others are researched, with the source linked. Not investment advice.
Cite this page
For essays, articles and research. Prices on this page update daily, so the citations include today's date as the date you accessed it.
@misc{corgano2026brentoilpricein, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Brent Oil Price in 2020}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/oil-brent/2020}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-31}}