U.S. inflation · 1936–1940
$100 in 1936 has the same buying power as
$101
in 1940
| Cumulative price change | 0.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 0.18% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $101 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $0.72 |
| CPI in 1936 | 13.9 |
| CPI in 1940 | 14 |
| Inflation in 1936 | 1.46% |
| Inflation in 1940 | 0.72% |
| $100 in 1936 → 1940 | $101 |
| $100 in 1940 → 1936 | $99.29 |
Between 1936 and 1940, the Consumer Price Index went from 13.9 to 14. Cumulatively, prices increased 0.7%, which works out to an average of 0.18% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1936 bought what $0.99 buys in 1940.
| Amount in 1936 | Value in 1940 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.01 |
| $5.00 | $5.04 |
| $10.00 | $10.07 |
| $20.00 | $20.14 |
| $50.00 | $50.36 |
| $100 | $101 |
| $500 | $504 |
| $1,000 | $1,007 |
| $5,000 | $5,036 |
| $10,000 | $10,072 |
| $100,000 | $100,719 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,007,194 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1936 spending costs in 1940, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1936 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 0.18% | $101 |
| Apparel | 0.94% | $104 |
| Medical care | 0.49% | $102 |
| Transportation | -0.18% | $99.30 |
| Food | -1.21% | $95.24 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1936: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1936 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | 13.9 | 1.5% | $100 |
| 1937 | 14.4 | 3.6% | $104 |
| 1938 | 14.1 | -2.1% | $101 |
| 1939 | 13.9 | -1.4% | $100 |
| 1940 | 14 | 0.7% | $101 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1936 to 1940: $100 is worth $101 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1936-to-1940/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1936 to 1940. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1936-to-1940/
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.