U.S. inflation · 1941–2003
$100 in 1941 has the same buying power as
$1,252
in 2003
| Cumulative price change | 1151.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.16% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,252 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $1,152 |
| CPI in 1941 | 14.7 |
| CPI in 2003 | 184 |
| Inflation in 1941 | 5.00% |
| Inflation in 2003 | 2.28% |
| $100 in 1941 → 2003 | $1,252 |
| $100 in 2003 → 1941 | $7.99 |
Between 1941 and 2003, the Consumer Price Index went from 14.7 to 184. Cumulatively, prices increased 1151.7%, which works out to an average of 4.16% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1941 bought what $0.08 buys in 2003.
| Amount in 1941 | Value in 2003 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $12.52 |
| $5.00 | $62.59 |
| $10.00 | $125 |
| $20.00 | $250 |
| $50.00 | $626 |
| $100 | $1,252 |
| $500 | $6,259 |
| $1,000 | $12,517 |
| $5,000 | $62,585 |
| $10,000 | $125,170 |
| $100,000 | $1,251,701 |
| $1,000,000 | $12,517,007 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1941 spending costs in 2003, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1941 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.16% | $1,252 |
| Medical care | 5.56% | $2,857 |
| Food | 4.32% | $1,374 |
| Transportation | 3.90% | $1,072 |
| Apparel | 2.73% | $530 |
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 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $133 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $177 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $185 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $203 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $220 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $276 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $387 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $618 |
| 1986 | 109.6 | 1.9% | $746 |
| 1991 | 136.2 | 4.2% | $927 |
| 1996 | 156.9 | 3.0% | $1,067 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $1,205 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $1,252 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1941 to 2003: $100 is worth $1,252 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1941-to-2003/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1941 to 2003. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1941-to-2003/
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.