U.S. inflation · 1935–2003
$100 in 1935 has the same buying power as
$1,343
in 2003
| Cumulative price change | 1243.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.89% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,343 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $1,243 |
| CPI in 1935 | 13.7 |
| CPI in 2003 | 184 |
| Inflation in 1935 | 2.24% |
| Inflation in 2003 | 2.28% |
| $100 in 1935 → 2003 | $1,343 |
| $100 in 2003 → 1935 | $7.45 |
Between 1935 and 2003, the Consumer Price Index went from 13.7 to 184. Cumulatively, prices increased 1243.1%, which works out to an average of 3.89% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1935 bought what $0.07 buys in 2003.
| Amount in 1935 | Value in 2003 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $13.43 |
| $5.00 | $67.15 |
| $10.00 | $134 |
| $20.00 | $269 |
| $50.00 | $672 |
| $100 | $1,343 |
| $500 | $6,715 |
| $1,000 | $13,431 |
| $5,000 | $67,153 |
| $10,000 | $134,307 |
| $100,000 | $1,343,066 |
| $1,000,000 | $13,430,657 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1935 spending costs in 2003, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1935 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.89% | $1,343 |
| Medical care | 5.08% | $2,913 |
| Food | 4.01% | $1,452 |
| Transportation | 3.60% | $1,110 |
| Apparel | 2.62% | $581 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1935: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1935 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 13.7 | 2.2% | $100 |
| 1940 | 14 | 0.7% | $102 |
| 1945 | 18 | 2.3% | $131 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $176 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $196 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $216 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $230 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $283 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $393 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $601 |
| 1985 | 107.6 | 3.6% | $785 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | 5.4% | $954 |
| 1995 | 152.4 | 2.8% | $1,112 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $1,257 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $1,343 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1935 to 2003: $100 is worth $1,343 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1935-to-2003/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1935 to 2003. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1935-to-2003/
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.