U.S. inflation · 1944–1949
$100 in 1944 has the same buying power as
$135
in 1949
| Cumulative price change | 35.2% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 6.22% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $135 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $35.23 |
| CPI in 1944 | 17.6 |
| CPI in 1949 | 23.8 |
| Inflation in 1944 | 1.73% |
| Inflation in 1949 | -1.24% |
| $100 in 1944 → 1949 | $135 |
| $100 in 1949 → 1944 | $73.95 |
Between 1944 and 1949, the Consumer Price Index went from 17.6 to 23.8. Cumulatively, prices increased 35.2%, which works out to an average of 6.22% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1944 bought what $0.74 buys in 1949.
| Amount in 1944 | Value in 1949 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.35 |
| $5.00 | $6.76 |
| $10.00 | $13.52 |
| $20.00 | $27.05 |
| $50.00 | $67.61 |
| $100 | $135 |
| $500 | $676 |
| $1,000 | $1,352 |
| $5,000 | $6,761 |
| $10,000 | $13,523 |
| $100,000 | $135,227 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,352,273 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1944 spending costs in 1949, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1944 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 6.22% | $135 |
| Food | 8.15% | $148 |
| Transportation | 6.81% | $139 |
| Apparel | 6.49% | $137 |
| Medical care | 4.99% | $128 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1944: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $100 |
| 1945 | 18 | 2.3% | $102 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $111 |
| 1947 | 22.3 | 14.4% | $127 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $137 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $135 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1944 to 1949: $100 is worth $135 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1944-to-1949/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1944 to 1949. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1944-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.