The national average price for self-serve, regular unleaded gas was $3.6150 a gallon on July 8, a decline of about 1.3 cents in the past two weeks, according to the survey of some 2,500 gas stations in the continental United States.

A year ago, the price was $2.7259.

At $3.30 a gallon, Phoenix had the lowest average price for self-serve, regular unleaded gas, while Chicago drivers paid the highest price at $4.03, the survey found.

The continued decline in prices came despite an increase in recent weeks in the price of crude oil. Gas prices have fallen 38 cents since early May when they began sliding.

Stubbornly high unemployment is prompting struggling consumers to cut back driving, dampening demand for gasoline, Trilby Lundberg, the survey's editor, told Reuters.

U.S. crude oil futures ended on Friday at $96.20.