U.S. inflation · 1936–2003
$100 in 1936 has the same buying power as
$1,324
in 2003
| Cumulative price change | 1223.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.93% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,324 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $1,224 |
| CPI in 1936 | 13.9 |
| CPI in 2003 | 184 |
| Inflation in 1936 | 1.46% |
| Inflation in 2003 | 2.28% |
| $100 in 1936 → 2003 | $1,324 |
| $100 in 2003 → 1936 | $7.55 |
Between 1936 and 2003, the Consumer Price Index went from 13.9 to 184. Cumulatively, prices increased 1223.7%, which works out to an average of 3.93% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1936 bought what $0.08 buys in 2003.
| Amount in 1936 | Value in 2003 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $13.24 |
| $5.00 | $66.19 |
| $10.00 | $132 |
| $20.00 | $265 |
| $50.00 | $662 |
| $100 | $1,324 |
| $500 | $6,619 |
| $1,000 | $13,237 |
| $5,000 | $66,187 |
| $10,000 | $132,374 |
| $100,000 | $1,323,741 |
| $1,000,000 | $13,237,410 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1936 spending costs in 2003, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1936 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.93% | $1,324 |
| Medical care | 5.16% | $2,913 |
| Food | 4.05% | $1,429 |
| Transportation | 3.65% | $1,102 |
| Apparel | 2.65% | $576 |
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 |
| 1941 | 14.7 | 5.0% | $106 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $140 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $187 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $196 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $215 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $233 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $291 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $409 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $654 |
| 1986 | 109.6 | 1.9% | $788 |
| 1991 | 136.2 | 4.2% | $980 |
| 1996 | 156.9 | 3.0% | $1,129 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $1,274 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $1,324 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1936 to 2003: $100 is worth $1,324 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1936-to-2003/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1936 to 2003. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1936-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.