U.S. inflation · 1936–1943
$100 in 1936 has the same buying power as
$124
in 1943
| Cumulative price change | 24.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.18% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $124 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $24.46 |
| CPI in 1936 | 13.9 |
| CPI in 1943 | 17.3 |
| Inflation in 1936 | 1.46% |
| Inflation in 1943 | 6.13% |
| $100 in 1936 → 1943 | $124 |
| $100 in 1943 → 1936 | $80.35 |
Between 1936 and 1943, the Consumer Price Index went from 13.9 to 17.3. Cumulatively, prices increased 24.5%, which works out to an average of 3.18% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1936 bought what $0.80 buys in 1943.
| Amount in 1936 | Value in 1943 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.24 |
| $5.00 | $6.22 |
| $10.00 | $12.45 |
| $20.00 | $24.89 |
| $50.00 | $62.23 |
| $100 | $124 |
| $500 | $622 |
| $1,000 | $1,245 |
| $5,000 | $6,223 |
| $10,000 | $12,446 |
| $100,000 | $124,460 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,244,604 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1936 spending costs in 1943, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1936 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.18% | $124 |
| Food | 4.46% | $136 |
| Apparel | 4.09% | $132 |
| Transportation | 1.53% | $111 |
| Medical care | 1.35% | $110 |
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 |
| 1941 | 14.7 | 5.0% | $106 |
| 1942 | 16.3 | 10.9% | $117 |
| 1943 | 17.3 | 6.1% | $124 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1936 to 1943: $100 is worth $124 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1936-to-1943/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1936 to 1943. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1936-to-1943/
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.