U.S. inflation · 1939–1943
$100 in 1939 has the same buying power as
$124
in 1943
| Cumulative price change | 24.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 5.62% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $124 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $24.46 |
| CPI in 1939 | 13.9 |
| CPI in 1943 | 17.3 |
| Inflation in 1939 | -1.42% |
| Inflation in 1943 | 6.13% |
| $100 in 1939 → 1943 | $124 |
| $100 in 1943 → 1939 | $80.35 |
Between 1939 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 5.62% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1939 bought what $0.80 buys in 1943.
| Amount in 1939 | 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 1939 spending costs in 1943, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1939 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 5.62% | $124 |
| Food | 9.72% | $145 |
| Apparel | 6.51% | $129 |
| Transportation | 2.69% | $111 |
| Medical care | 2.12% | $109 |
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 |
| 1942 | 16.3 | 10.9% | $117 |
| 1943 | 17.3 | 6.1% | $124 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1939 to 1943: $100 is worth $124 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1939-to-1943/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1939 to 1943. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1939-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.