U.S. inflation · 1944–1956
$100 in 1944 has the same buying power as
$155
in 1956
| Cumulative price change | 54.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.69% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $155 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $54.55 |
| CPI in 1944 | 17.6 |
| CPI in 1956 | 27.2 |
| Inflation in 1944 | 1.73% |
| Inflation in 1956 | 1.49% |
| $100 in 1944 → 1956 | $155 |
| $100 in 1956 → 1944 | $64.71 |
Between 1944 and 1956, the Consumer Price Index went from 17.6 to 27.2. Cumulatively, prices increased 54.5%, which works out to an average of 3.69% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1944 bought what $0.65 buys in 1956.
| Amount in 1944 | Value in 1956 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.55 |
| $5.00 | $7.73 |
| $10.00 | $15.45 |
| $20.00 | $30.91 |
| $50.00 | $77.27 |
| $100 | $155 |
| $500 | $773 |
| $1,000 | $1,545 |
| $5,000 | $7,727 |
| $10,000 | $15,455 |
| $100,000 | $154,545 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,545,455 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1944 spending costs in 1956, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1944 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.69% | $155 |
| Food | 4.30% | $166 |
| Transportation | 4.25% | $165 |
| Medical care | 4.15% | $163 |
| Apparel | 3.24% | $147 |
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 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $137 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $148 |
| 1952 | 26.5 | 1.9% | $151 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $152 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $153 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $152 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $155 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1944 to 1956: $100 is worth $155 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1944-to-1956/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1944 to 1956. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1944-to-1956/
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.