U.S. inflation · 1943–1949
$100 in 1943 has the same buying power as
$138
in 1949
| Cumulative price change | 37.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 5.46% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $138 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $37.57 |
| CPI in 1943 | 17.3 |
| CPI in 1949 | 23.8 |
| Inflation in 1943 | 6.13% |
| Inflation in 1949 | -1.24% |
| $100 in 1943 → 1949 | $138 |
| $100 in 1949 → 1943 | $72.69 |
Between 1943 and 1949, the Consumer Price Index went from 17.3 to 23.8. Cumulatively, prices increased 37.6%, which works out to an average of 5.46% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1943 bought what $0.73 buys in 1949.
| Amount in 1943 | Value in 1949 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.38 |
| $5.00 | $6.88 |
| $10.00 | $13.76 |
| $20.00 | $27.51 |
| $50.00 | $68.79 |
| $100 | $138 |
| $500 | $688 |
| $1,000 | $1,376 |
| $5,000 | $6,879 |
| $10,000 | $13,757 |
| $100,000 | $137,572 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,375,723 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1943 spending costs in 1949, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1943 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 5.46% | $138 |
| Apparel | 6.60% | $147 |
| Food | 6.53% | $146 |
| Transportation | 5.64% | $139 |
| Medical care | 4.75% | $132 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1943: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1943 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | 17.3 | 6.1% | $100 |
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $102 |
| 1945 | 18 | 2.3% | $104 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $113 |
| 1947 | 22.3 | 14.4% | $129 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $139 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $138 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1943 to 1949: $100 is worth $138 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1943-to-1949/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1943 to 1949. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1943-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.