Gas prices in Chicago are on the rise.

The AAA in Chicago says the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Cook County is now $3.16. That’s $0.23 higher than last month, and $0.95 cents more than April of last year.

AAA spokesman Nick Jarmusz says a lot of that has to do with the Chinese.

JARMUSZ: Their demand for oil is 30 percent higher than it was this time last year. So, you know that, and our own domestic demand, is driving up the cost of the crude oil on the market.

Jarmusz says prices usually spike this time each year because oil companies are switching over to summer gasoline, which is more expensive to refine.

Gas in the Chicago region as a whole now averages $3.14 per gallon.