U.S. inflation · 1921–1955
$100 in 1921 has the same buying power as
$150
in 1955
| Cumulative price change | 49.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.19% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $150 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $49.72 |
| CPI in 1921 | 17.9 |
| CPI in 1955 | 26.8 |
| Inflation in 1921 | -10.50% |
| Inflation in 1955 | -0.37% |
| $100 in 1921 → 1955 | $150 |
| $100 in 1955 → 1921 | $66.79 |
Between 1921 and 1955, the Consumer Price Index went from 17.9 to 26.8. Cumulatively, prices increased 49.7%, which works out to an average of 1.19% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1921 bought what $0.67 buys in 1955.
| Amount in 1921 | Value in 1955 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.50 |
| $5.00 | $7.49 |
| $10.00 | $14.97 |
| $20.00 | $29.94 |
| $50.00 | $74.86 |
| $100 | $150 |
| $500 | $749 |
| $1,000 | $1,497 |
| $5,000 | $7,486 |
| $10,000 | $14,972 |
| $100,000 | $149,721 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,497,207 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1921 spending costs in 1955, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1921 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.19% | $150 |
| Food | 1.66% | $175 |
| Apparel | 0.76% | $129 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1921: 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 1921 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 17.9 | -10.5% | $100 |
| 1923 | 17.1 | 1.8% | $95.53 |
| 1925 | 17.5 | 2.3% | $97.77 |
| 1927 | 17.4 | -1.7% | $97.21 |
| 1929 | 17.1 | 0.0% | $95.53 |
| 1931 | 15.2 | -9.0% | $84.92 |
| 1933 | 13 | -5.1% | $72.63 |
| 1935 | 13.7 | 2.2% | $76.54 |
| 1937 | 14.4 | 3.6% | $80.45 |
| 1939 | 13.9 | -1.4% | $77.65 |
| 1941 | 14.7 | 5.0% | $82.12 |
| 1943 | 17.3 | 6.1% | $96.65 |
| 1945 | 18 | 2.3% | $101 |
| 1947 | 22.3 | 14.4% | $125 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $133 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $145 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $149 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $150 |
Long periods are sampled every 2 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1921 to 1955: $100 is worth $150 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1921-to-1955/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1921 to 1955. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1921-to-1955/
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.