U.S. inflation · 1948–1959
$100 in 1948 has the same buying power as
$121
in 1959
| Cumulative price change | 20.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.73% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $121 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $20.75 |
| CPI in 1948 | 24.1 |
| CPI in 1959 | 29.1 |
| Inflation in 1948 | 8.07% |
| Inflation in 1959 | 0.69% |
| $100 in 1948 → 1959 | $121 |
| $100 in 1959 → 1948 | $82.82 |
Between 1948 and 1959, the Consumer Price Index went from 24.1 to 29.1. Cumulatively, prices increased 20.7%, which works out to an average of 1.73% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1948 bought what $0.83 buys in 1959.
| Amount in 1948 | Value in 1959 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.21 |
| $5.00 | $6.04 |
| $10.00 | $12.07 |
| $20.00 | $24.15 |
| $50.00 | $60.37 |
| $100 | $121 |
| $500 | $604 |
| $1,000 | $1,207 |
| $5,000 | $6,037 |
| $10,000 | $12,075 |
| $100,000 | $120,747 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,207,469 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1948 spending costs in 1959, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1948 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.73% | $121 |
| Medical care | 3.71% | $149 |
| Transportation | 3.41% | $145 |
| Food | 1.18% | $114 |
| Apparel | 0.52% | $106 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1948: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1948 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $100 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $98.76 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $100 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $108 |
| 1952 | 26.5 | 1.9% | $110 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $111 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $112 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $111 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $113 |
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $117 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $120 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $121 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1948 to 1959: $100 is worth $121 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1948-to-1959/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1948 to 1959. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1948-to-1959/
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.