U.S. inflation · 1922–1951
$100 in 1922 has the same buying power as
$155
in 1951
| Cumulative price change | 54.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.52% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $155 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $54.76 |
| CPI in 1922 | 16.8 |
| CPI in 1951 | 26 |
| Inflation in 1922 | -6.15% |
| Inflation in 1951 | 7.88% |
| $100 in 1922 → 1951 | $155 |
| $100 in 1951 → 1922 | $64.62 |
Between 1922 and 1951, the Consumer Price Index went from 16.8 to 26. Cumulatively, prices increased 54.8%, which works out to an average of 1.52% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1922 bought what $0.65 buys in 1951.
| Amount in 1922 | Value in 1951 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.55 |
| $5.00 | $7.74 |
| $10.00 | $15.48 |
| $20.00 | $30.95 |
| $50.00 | $77.38 |
| $100 | $155 |
| $500 | $774 |
| $1,000 | $1,548 |
| $5,000 | $7,738 |
| $10,000 | $15,476 |
| $100,000 | $154,762 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,547,619 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1922 spending costs in 1951, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1922 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.52% | $155 |
| Food | 2.22% | $189 |
| Apparel | 1.69% | $163 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1922: 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 1922 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 16.8 | -6.1% | $100 |
| 1923 | 17.1 | 1.8% | $102 |
| 1924 | 17.1 | 0.0% | $102 |
| 1925 | 17.5 | 2.3% | $104 |
| 1926 | 17.7 | 1.1% | $105 |
| 1927 | 17.4 | -1.7% | $104 |
| 1928 | 17.1 | -1.7% | $102 |
| 1929 | 17.1 | 0.0% | $102 |
| 1930 | 16.7 | -2.3% | $99.40 |
| 1931 | 15.2 | -9.0% | $90.48 |
| 1932 | 13.7 | -9.9% | $81.55 |
| 1933 | 13 | -5.1% | $77.38 |
| 1934 | 13.4 | 3.1% | $79.76 |
| 1935 | 13.7 | 2.2% | $81.55 |
| 1936 | 13.9 | 1.5% | $82.74 |
| 1937 | 14.4 | 3.6% | $85.71 |
| 1938 | 14.1 | -2.1% | $83.93 |
| 1939 | 13.9 | -1.4% | $82.74 |
| 1940 | 14 | 0.7% | $83.33 |
| 1941 | 14.7 | 5.0% | $87.50 |
| 1942 | 16.3 | 10.9% | $97.02 |
| 1943 | 17.3 | 6.1% | $103 |
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $105 |
| 1945 | 18 | 2.3% | $107 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $116 |
| 1947 | 22.3 | 14.4% | $133 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $143 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $142 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $143 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $155 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1922 to 1951: $100 is worth $155 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1922-to-1951/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1922 to 1951. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1922-to-1951/
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.