U.S. inflation · 1926–1929
$100 in 1926 has the same buying power as
$96.61
in 1929
| Cumulative price change | -3.4% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | -1.14% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $96.61 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | -$3.39 |
| CPI in 1926 | 17.7 |
| CPI in 1929 | 17.1 |
| Inflation in 1926 | 1.14% |
| Inflation in 1929 | 0.00% |
| $100 in 1926 → 1929 | $96.61 |
| $100 in 1929 → 1926 | $104 |
Between 1926 and 1929, the Consumer Price Index went from 17.7 to 17.1. Cumulatively, prices declined 3.4%, which works out to an average of -1.14% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1926 bought what $1.04 buys in 1929.
| Amount in 1926 | Value in 1929 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $0.97 |
| $5.00 | $4.83 |
| $10.00 | $9.66 |
| $20.00 | $19.32 |
| $50.00 | $48.31 |
| $100 | $96.61 |
| $500 | $483 |
| $1,000 | $966 |
| $5,000 | $4,831 |
| $10,000 | $9,661 |
| $100,000 | $96,610 |
| $1,000,000 | $966,102 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1926 spending costs in 1929, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1926 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | -1.14% | $96.61 |
| Food | -0.99% | $97.06 |
| Apparel | -1.57% | $95.37 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1926: 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 1926 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | 17.7 | 1.1% | $100 |
| 1927 | 17.4 | -1.7% | $98.31 |
| 1928 | 17.1 | -1.7% | $96.61 |
| 1929 | 17.1 | 0.0% | $96.61 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1926 to 1929: $100 is worth $96.61 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1926-to-1929/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1926 to 1929. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1926-to-1929/
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.