U.S. inflation · 1947–1951
$100 in 1947 has the same buying power as
$117
in 1951
| Cumulative price change | 16.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.91% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $117 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $16.59 |
| CPI in 1947 | 22.3 |
| CPI in 1951 | 26 |
| Inflation in 1947 | 14.36% |
| Inflation in 1951 | 7.88% |
| $100 in 1947 → 1951 | $117 |
| $100 in 1951 → 1947 | $85.77 |
Between 1947 and 1951, the Consumer Price Index went from 22.3 to 26. Cumulatively, prices increased 16.6%, which works out to an average of 3.91% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1947 bought what $0.86 buys in 1951.
| Amount in 1947 | Value in 1951 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.17 |
| $5.00 | $5.83 |
| $10.00 | $11.66 |
| $20.00 | $23.32 |
| $50.00 | $58.30 |
| $100 | $117 |
| $500 | $583 |
| $1,000 | $1,166 |
| $5,000 | $5,830 |
| $10,000 | $11,659 |
| $100,000 | $116,592 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,165,919 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1947 spending costs in 1951, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1947 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.91% | $117 |
| Transportation | 6.83% | $130 |
| Medical care | 4.18% | $118 |
| Food | 4.01% | $117 |
| Apparel | 2.42% | $110 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1947: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1947 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 22.3 | 14.4% | $100 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $108 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $107 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $108 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $117 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1947 to 1951: $100 is worth $117 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1947-to-1951/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1947 to 1951. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1947-to-1951/
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.