U.S. inflation · 1942–1959
$100 in 1942 has the same buying power as
$179
in 1959
| Cumulative price change | 78.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.47% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $179 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $78.53 |
| CPI in 1942 | 16.3 |
| CPI in 1959 | 29.1 |
| Inflation in 1942 | 10.88% |
| Inflation in 1959 | 0.69% |
| $100 in 1942 → 1959 | $179 |
| $100 in 1959 → 1942 | $56.01 |
Between 1942 and 1959, the Consumer Price Index went from 16.3 to 29.1. Cumulatively, prices increased 78.5%, which works out to an average of 3.47% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1942 bought what $0.56 buys in 1959.
| Amount in 1942 | Value in 1959 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.79 |
| $5.00 | $8.93 |
| $10.00 | $17.85 |
| $20.00 | $35.71 |
| $50.00 | $89.26 |
| $100 | $179 |
| $500 | $893 |
| $1,000 | $1,785 |
| $5,000 | $8,926 |
| $10,000 | $17,853 |
| $100,000 | $178,528 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,785,276 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1942 spending costs in 1959, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1942 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.47% | $179 |
| Medical care | 4.19% | $201 |
| Food | 3.94% | $193 |
| Transportation | 3.73% | $186 |
| Apparel | 3.12% | $169 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1942: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1942 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | 16.3 | 10.9% | $100 |
| 1943 | 17.3 | 6.1% | $106 |
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $108 |
| 1945 | 18 | 2.3% | $110 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $120 |
| 1947 | 22.3 | 14.4% | $137 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $148 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $146 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $148 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $160 |
| 1952 | 26.5 | 1.9% | $163 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $164 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $165 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $164 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $167 |
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $172 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $177 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $179 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1942 to 1959: $100 is worth $179 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1942-to-1959/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1942 to 1959. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1942-to-1959/
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.