U.S. inflation · 1945–2012
$100 in 1945 has the same buying power as
$1,276
in 2012
| Cumulative price change | 1175.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.87% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,276 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $1,176 |
| CPI in 1945 | 18 |
| CPI in 2012 | 229.594 |
| Inflation in 1945 | 2.27% |
| Inflation in 2012 | 2.07% |
| $100 in 1945 → 2012 | $1,276 |
| $100 in 2012 → 1945 | $7.84 |
Between 1945 and 2012, the Consumer Price Index went from 18 to 229.594. Cumulatively, prices increased 1175.5%, which works out to an average of 3.87% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1945 bought what $0.08 buys in 2012.
| Amount in 1945 | Value in 2012 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $12.76 |
| $5.00 | $63.78 |
| $10.00 | $128 |
| $20.00 | $255 |
| $50.00 | $638 |
| $100 | $1,276 |
| $500 | $6,378 |
| $1,000 | $12,755 |
| $5,000 | $63,776 |
| $10,000 | $127,552 |
| $100,000 | $1,275,522 |
| $1,000,000 | $12,755,222 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1945 spending costs in 2012, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1945 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.87% | $1,276 |
| Medical care | 5.44% | $3,487 |
| Transportation | 3.98% | $1,367 |
| Food | 3.96% | $1,351 |
| Apparel | 2.10% | $402 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1945: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1945 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 18 | 2.3% | $100 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $134 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $149 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $164 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $175 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $216 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $299 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $458 |
| 1985 | 107.6 | 3.6% | $598 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | 5.4% | $726 |
| 1995 | 152.4 | 2.8% | $847 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $957 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $1,085 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $1,211 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $1,276 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1945 to 2012: $100 is worth $1,276 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1945-to-2012/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1945 to 2012. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1945-to-2012/
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.