U.S. inflation · 1931–1937
$100 in 1931 has the same buying power as
$94.74
in 1937
| Cumulative price change | -5.3% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | -0.90% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $94.74 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | -$5.26 |
| CPI in 1931 | 15.2 |
| CPI in 1937 | 14.4 |
| Inflation in 1931 | -8.98% |
| Inflation in 1937 | 3.60% |
| $100 in 1931 → 1937 | $94.74 |
| $100 in 1937 → 1931 | $106 |
Between 1931 and 1937, the Consumer Price Index went from 15.2 to 14.4. Cumulatively, prices declined 5.3%, which works out to an average of -0.90% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1931 bought what $1.06 buys in 1937.
| Amount in 1931 | Value in 1937 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $0.95 |
| $5.00 | $4.74 |
| $10.00 | $9.47 |
| $20.00 | $18.95 |
| $50.00 | $47.37 |
| $100 | $94.74 |
| $500 | $474 |
| $1,000 | $947 |
| $5,000 | $4,737 |
| $10,000 | $9,474 |
| $100,000 | $94,737 |
| $1,000,000 | $947,368 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1931 spending costs in 1937, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1931 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | -0.90% | $94.74 |
| Food | 0.26% | $102 |
| Apparel | 0.00% | $100 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1931: 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 1931 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | 15.2 | -9.0% | $100 |
| 1932 | 13.7 | -9.9% | $90.13 |
| 1933 | 13 | -5.1% | $85.53 |
| 1934 | 13.4 | 3.1% | $88.16 |
| 1935 | 13.7 | 2.2% | $90.13 |
| 1936 | 13.9 | 1.5% | $91.45 |
| 1937 | 14.4 | 3.6% | $94.74 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1931 to 1937: $100 is worth $94.74 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1931-to-1937/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1931 to 1937. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1931-to-1937/
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.