U.S. inflation · 1920–1980
$100 in 1920 has the same buying power as
$412
in 1980
| Cumulative price change | 312.0% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.39% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $412 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $312 |
| CPI in 1920 | 20 |
| CPI in 1980 | 82.4 |
| Inflation in 1920 | 15.61% |
| Inflation in 1980 | 13.50% |
| $100 in 1920 → 1980 | $412 |
| $100 in 1980 → 1920 | $24.27 |
Between 1920 and 1980, the Consumer Price Index went from 20 to 82.4. Cumulatively, prices increased 312.0%, which works out to an average of 2.39% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1920 bought what $0.24 buys in 1980.
| Amount in 1920 | Value in 1980 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $4.12 |
| $5.00 | $20.60 |
| $10.00 | $41.20 |
| $20.00 | $82.40 |
| $50.00 | $206 |
| $100 | $412 |
| $500 | $2,060 |
| $1,000 | $4,120 |
| $5,000 | $20,600 |
| $10,000 | $41,200 |
| $100,000 | $412,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $4,120,000 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1920 spending costs in 1980, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1920 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.39% | $412 |
| Food | 2.39% | $413 |
| Apparel | 1.25% | $211 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1920: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), medical care (1935–), transportation (1935–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1920 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 20 | 15.6% | $100 |
| 1922 | 16.8 | -6.1% | $84.00 |
| 1924 | 17.1 | 0.0% | $85.50 |
| 1926 | 17.7 | 1.1% | $88.50 |
| 1928 | 17.1 | -1.7% | $85.50 |
| 1930 | 16.7 | -2.3% | $83.50 |
| 1932 | 13.7 | -9.9% | $68.50 |
| 1934 | 13.4 | 3.1% | $67.00 |
| 1936 | 13.9 | 1.5% | $69.50 |
| 1938 | 14.1 | -2.1% | $70.50 |
| 1940 | 14 | 0.7% | $70.00 |
| 1942 | 16.3 | 10.9% | $81.50 |
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $88.00 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $97.50 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $121 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $121 |
| 1952 | 26.5 | 1.9% | $133 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $135 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $136 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $144 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $148 |
| 1962 | 30.2 | 1.0% | $151 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $155 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $162 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $174 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $194 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $209 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $247 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $285 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $326 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $412 |
Long periods are sampled every 2 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
1980 sat at the very peak of the Great Inflation. Prices rose 13.5% in that single year, mortgage rates were climbing toward 16%, and the Federal Reserve under Paul Volcker was administering the painful interest-rate medicine that would finally break the inflationary spiral, at the cost of the deep 1981–82 recession. No single year looms larger in how Americans think about inflation.
MLA: “Inflation from 1920 to 1980: $100 is worth $412 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1920-to-1980/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1920 to 1980. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1920-to-1980/
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (series CUUR0000SA0; category indexes listed on the data sources page). See how these numbers are calculated.