U.S. inflation · 1939–1944
$100 in 1939 has the same buying power as
$127
in 1944
| Cumulative price change | 26.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.83% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $127 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $26.62 |
| CPI in 1939 | 13.9 |
| CPI in 1944 | 17.6 |
| Inflation in 1939 | -1.42% |
| Inflation in 1944 | 1.73% |
| $100 in 1939 → 1944 | $127 |
| $100 in 1944 → 1939 | $78.98 |
Between 1939 and 1944, the Consumer Price Index went from 13.9 to 17.6. Cumulatively, prices increased 26.6%, which works out to an average of 4.83% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1939 bought what $0.79 buys in 1944.
| Amount in 1939 | Value in 1944 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.27 |
| $5.00 | $6.33 |
| $10.00 | $12.66 |
| $20.00 | $25.32 |
| $50.00 | $63.31 |
| $100 | $127 |
| $500 | $633 |
| $1,000 | $1,266 |
| $5,000 | $6,331 |
| $10,000 | $12,662 |
| $100,000 | $126,619 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,266,187 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1939 spending costs in 1944, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1939 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.83% | $127 |
| Food | 7.45% | $143 |
| Apparel | 6.65% | $138 |
| Medical care | 2.41% | $113 |
| Transportation | 2.14% | $111 |
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 |
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $127 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1939 to 1944: $100 is worth $127 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1939-to-1944/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1939 to 1944. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1939-to-1944/
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.