SAN DIEGO – The average price of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline in San Diego County dropped for the 11th consecutive week this week, but the 2.5-cent decline was the smallest since the trend began.

The average of $3.843 is 32 cents less than at this time last month and 78.7 cents less than the record high of $4.63 set on June 19, but $1.025 more than at this time last year, the Automobile Club of Southern California reported Friday.

The average dropped 5.5 cents from Aug. 22-29; 10 cents from Aug. 15-22; 10.9 cents from Aug. 8-15; 8.4 cents from Aug. 1-8; 14.9 cents from July 25-Aug. 1; 10.8 cents from July 18-25; 5.3 cents from July 11-18; 5 cents from July 4-11; and 2.7 cents from both June 27-July 4 and June 20-27.

The 56-day streak of declining prices ended Tuesday with an increase of six-tenths of a cent, followed by an increase of one-tenth of a cent from Tuesday to Wednesday. The average fell seven-tenths of a cent from Wednesday to Thursday.

“Gasoline demand typically drops nationally after Labor Day through the end of the year,” Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring said.