Official CPI-U data · 1913–2026
Inflation Calculator
See what a U.S. dollar amount from any year since 1913 is worth in today's money. Every result uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the same index behind the official inflation rate, and updates with each monthly CPI release.
$100 in 1990 has the same buying power as
$254
in 2026
| Cumulative price change | 153.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.62% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $254 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $154 |
| CPI in 1990 | 130.7 |
| CPI in 2026 | 331.655 |
| Inflation in 1990 | 5.40% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 3.02% |
| $100 in 1990 → 2026 | $254 |
| $100 in 2026 → 1990 | $39.41 |
Uses a partial-year average for the current year; updates with each CPI release.
How this calculator works
Every result is the official CPI ratio applied to your amount:
value = amount × ( CPI in target year ÷ CPI in starting year )
For example, $100 in 1990 has the buying power of $254 in 2026: 100 × (331.655 ÷ 130.7). The data is the CPI-U annual-average series (all items, U.S. city average), the longest-running official measure of U.S. consumer prices. Read the full methodology, which covers how the current year is handled and where the CPI falls short, or start with the guide to how inflation is calculated.
U.S. inflation rate by year
The current inflation rate is 3.4% for the 12 months ending August 2026. In 2025, the most recent complete year, prices rose 2.6%. Recent years:
| Year | Inflation rate | $100 then, in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.6% | $103 |
| 2024 | 2.9% | $106 |
| 2023 | 4.1% | $109 |
| 2022 | 8.0% | $113 |
| 2021 | 4.7% | $122 |
| 2020 | 1.2% | $128 |
| 2019 | 1.8% | $130 |
| 2018 | 2.4% | $132 |
| 2017 | 2.1% | $135 |
| 2016 | 1.3% | $138 |
Popular conversions
Years in review
Understand inflation
- The Great Moderation: America's Calm Inflation Era, 1983-2007
Inflation cooled to a 3.1% average from 1983 to 2007, the calmest stretch in CPI history, until the 2008 oil spike and financial crisis ended it.
- How to Read a CPI Report: The Numbers That Matter
A field guide to the monthly CPI release: headline vs. core inflation, seasonally adjusted vs. not, and what changes the day the report drops.
- How to Protect Your Money From Inflation
Cash sitting still loses to inflation most years. A practical look at I Bonds, TIPS, rate-aware saving, and the income side of the same problem.
- I Bonds, Explained: How Inflation-Linked Bonds Work
I Bonds pay a rate that resets every six months to track inflation, backed by the U.S. Treasury. The rate formula, purchase limits, and who they suit.
- Interest Rates and Inflation: How They Interact
Interest rates and inflation move together but with a lag: the Fed raises rates to cool inflation, and those rates feed back into future prices.
Frequently asked questions
How does the inflation calculator work?
It multiplies your amount by the ratio of the two years' Consumer Price Index values: value = amount × (CPI in target year ÷ CPI in starting year). For example, $100 in 1990 × (331.655 ÷ 130.7) = $254 in 2026.
What data does this calculator use?
Annual averages of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, all items, U.S. city average; BLS series CUUR0000SA0), published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The dataset is refreshed after each monthly CPI release.
What is the current U.S. inflation rate?
The U.S. inflation rate is 3.4% for the 12 months ending August 2026, measured as the year-over-year change in the CPI-U. For full calendar years, the rate in 2025 was 2.6%. Both figures update with each monthly BLS release.
Why does the calculator start in 1913?
1913 is the first year of the official CPI series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics began collecting consistent consumer price data in 1913, so earlier comparisons would rely on unofficial reconstructions.
Is CPI the only way to measure inflation?
No. The PCE price index (the Federal Reserve's preferred gauge), the GDP deflator, and variants like CPI-W and Chained CPI all measure price change with different baskets and formulas. CPI-U is used here because it is the headline number behind most "inflation rate" references and the longest consistent series.
More detail: methodology · data sources & update log · all guides