U.S. inflation · 1939–1941
$100 in 1939 has the same buying power as
$106
in 1941
| Cumulative price change | 5.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.84% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $106 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $5.76 |
| CPI in 1939 | 13.9 |
| CPI in 1941 | 14.7 |
| Inflation in 1939 | -1.42% |
| Inflation in 1941 | 5.00% |
| $100 in 1939 → 1941 | $106 |
| $100 in 1941 → 1939 | $94.56 |
Between 1939 and 1941, the Consumer Price Index went from 13.9 to 14.7. Cumulatively, prices increased 5.8%, which works out to an average of 2.84% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1939 bought what $0.95 buys in 1941.
| Amount in 1939 | Value in 1941 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.06 |
| $5.00 | $5.29 |
| $10.00 | $10.58 |
| $20.00 | $21.15 |
| $50.00 | $52.88 |
| $100 | $106 |
| $500 | $529 |
| $1,000 | $1,058 |
| $5,000 | $5,288 |
| $10,000 | $10,576 |
| $100,000 | $105,755 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,057,554 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1939 spending costs in 1941, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1939 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.84% | $106 |
| Food | 5.36% | $111 |
| Apparel | 2.74% | $106 |
| Transportation | 1.39% | $103 |
| Medical care | 0.48% | $101 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1939: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 13.9 | -1.4% | $100 |
| 1940 | 14 | 0.7% | $101 |
| 1941 | 14.7 | 5.0% | $106 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1939 to 1941: $100 is worth $106 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1939-to-1941/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1939 to 1941. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1939-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.