U.S. inflation · 1939–2002
$100 in 1939 has the same buying power as
$1,294
in 2002
| Cumulative price change | 1194.2% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.15% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,294 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $1,194 |
| CPI in 1939 | 13.9 |
| CPI in 2002 | 179.9 |
| Inflation in 1939 | -1.42% |
| Inflation in 2002 | 1.58% |
| $100 in 1939 → 2002 | $1,294 |
| $100 in 2002 → 1939 | $7.73 |
Between 1939 and 2002, the Consumer Price Index went from 13.9 to 179.9. Cumulatively, prices increased 1194.2%, which works out to an average of 4.15% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1939 bought what $0.08 buys in 2002.
| Amount in 1939 | Value in 2002 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $12.94 |
| $5.00 | $64.71 |
| $10.00 | $129 |
| $20.00 | $259 |
| $50.00 | $647 |
| $100 | $1,294 |
| $500 | $6,471 |
| $1,000 | $12,942 |
| $5,000 | $64,712 |
| $10,000 | $129,424 |
| $100,000 | $1,294,245 |
| $1,000,000 | $12,942,446 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1939 spending costs in 2002, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1939 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.15% | $1,294 |
| Medical care | 5.42% | $2,773 |
| Food | 4.38% | $1,493 |
| Transportation | 3.83% | $1,069 |
| Apparel | 2.81% | $574 |
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 |
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $127 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $171 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $194 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $209 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $223 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $264 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $355 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $522 |
| 1984 | 103.9 | 4.3% | $747 |
| 1989 | 124 | 4.8% | $892 |
| 1994 | 148.2 | 2.6% | $1,066 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $1,199 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $1,294 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1939 to 2002: $100 is worth $1,294 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1939-to-2002/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1939 to 2002. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1939-to-2002/
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.