U.S. inflation · 1943–2020
$100 in 1943 has the same buying power as
$1,496
in 2020
| Cumulative price change | 1396.0% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.58% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,496 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $1,396 |
| CPI in 1943 | 17.3 |
| CPI in 2020 | 258.811 |
| Inflation in 1943 | 6.13% |
| Inflation in 2020 | 1.23% |
| $100 in 1943 → 2020 | $1,496 |
| $100 in 2020 → 1943 | $6.68 |
Between 1943 and 2020, the Consumer Price Index went from 17.3 to 258.811. Cumulatively, prices increased 1396.0%, which works out to an average of 3.58% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1943 bought what $0.07 buys in 2020.
| Amount in 1943 | Value in 2020 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $14.96 |
| $5.00 | $74.80 |
| $10.00 | $150 |
| $20.00 | $299 |
| $50.00 | $748 |
| $100 | $1,496 |
| $500 | $7,480 |
| $1,000 | $14,960 |
| $5,000 | $74,801 |
| $10,000 | $149,602 |
| $100,000 | $1,496,017 |
| $1,000,000 | $14,960,173 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1943 spending costs in 2020, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1943 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.58% | $1,496 |
| Medical care | 5.11% | $4,633 |
| Food | 3.63% | $1,563 |
| Transportation | 3.35% | $1,266 |
| Apparel | 1.90% | $425 |
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 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $139 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $154 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $167 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $177 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $201 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $257 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $377 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $576 |
| 1988 | 118.3 | 4.1% | $684 |
| 1993 | 144.5 | 3.0% | $835 |
| 1998 | 163 | 1.6% | $942 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $1,064 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $1,245 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $1,347 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $1,451 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $1,496 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1943 to 2020: $100 is worth $1,496 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1943-to-2020/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1943 to 2020. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1943-to-2020/
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.