U.S. inflation · 1937–1941
$100 in 1937 has the same buying power as
$102
in 1941
| Cumulative price change | 2.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 0.52% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $102 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $2.08 |
| CPI in 1937 | 14.4 |
| CPI in 1941 | 14.7 |
| Inflation in 1937 | 3.60% |
| Inflation in 1941 | 5.00% |
| $100 in 1937 → 1941 | $102 |
| $100 in 1941 → 1937 | $97.96 |
Between 1937 and 1941, the Consumer Price Index went from 14.4 to 14.7. Cumulatively, prices increased 2.1%, which works out to an average of 0.52% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1937 bought what $0.98 buys in 1941.
| Amount in 1937 | Value in 1941 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.02 |
| $5.00 | $5.10 |
| $10.00 | $10.21 |
| $20.00 | $20.42 |
| $50.00 | $51.04 |
| $100 | $102 |
| $500 | $510 |
| $1,000 | $1,021 |
| $5,000 | $5,104 |
| $10,000 | $10,208 |
| $100,000 | $102,083 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,020,833 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1937 spending costs in 1941, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1937 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 0.52% | $102 |
| Apparel | 0.90% | $104 |
| Transportation | 0.34% | $101 |
| Medical care | 0.24% | $101 |
| Food | 0.00% | $100 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1937: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1937 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | 14.4 | 3.6% | $100 |
| 1938 | 14.1 | -2.1% | $97.92 |
| 1939 | 13.9 | -1.4% | $96.53 |
| 1940 | 14 | 0.7% | $97.22 |
| 1941 | 14.7 | 5.0% | $102 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1937 to 1941: $100 is worth $102 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1937-to-1941/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1937 to 1941. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1937-to-1941/
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.