U.S. inflation · 1941–1949
$100 in 1941 has the same buying power as
$162
in 1949
| Cumulative price change | 61.9% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 6.21% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $162 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $61.90 |
| CPI in 1941 | 14.7 |
| CPI in 1949 | 23.8 |
| Inflation in 1941 | 5.00% |
| Inflation in 1949 | -1.24% |
| $100 in 1941 → 1949 | $162 |
| $100 in 1949 → 1941 | $61.76 |
Between 1941 and 1949, the Consumer Price Index went from 14.7 to 23.8. Cumulatively, prices increased 61.9%, which works out to an average of 6.21% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1941 bought what $0.62 buys in 1949.
| Amount in 1941 | Value in 1949 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.62 |
| $5.00 | $8.10 |
| $10.00 | $16.19 |
| $20.00 | $32.38 |
| $50.00 | $80.95 |
| $100 | $162 |
| $500 | $810 |
| $1,000 | $1,619 |
| $5,000 | $8,095 |
| $10,000 | $16,190 |
| $100,000 | $161,905 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,619,048 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1941 spending costs in 1949, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1941 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 6.21% | $162 |
| Food | 8.41% | $191 |
| Apparel | 7.55% | $179 |
| Transportation | 5.23% | $150 |
| Medical care | 4.51% | $142 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1941: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1941 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | 14.7 | 5.0% | $100 |
| 1942 | 16.3 | 10.9% | $111 |
| 1943 | 17.3 | 6.1% | $118 |
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $120 |
| 1945 | 18 | 2.3% | $122 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $133 |
| 1947 | 22.3 | 14.4% | $152 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $164 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $162 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1941 to 1949: $100 is worth $162 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1941-to-1949/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1941 to 1949. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1941-to-1949/
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.