U.S. inflation · 1950–2012
$100 in 1950 has the same buying power as
$953
in 2012
| Cumulative price change | 852.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.70% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $953 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $853 |
| CPI in 1950 | 24.1 |
| CPI in 2012 | 229.594 |
| Inflation in 1950 | 1.26% |
| Inflation in 2012 | 2.07% |
| $100 in 1950 → 2012 | $953 |
| $100 in 2012 → 1950 | $10.50 |
Between 1950 and 2012, the Consumer Price Index went from 24.1 to 229.594. Cumulatively, prices increased 852.7%, which works out to an average of 3.70% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1950 bought what $0.10 buys in 2012.
| Amount in 1950 | Value in 2012 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $9.53 |
| $5.00 | $47.63 |
| $10.00 | $95.27 |
| $20.00 | $191 |
| $50.00 | $476 |
| $100 | $953 |
| $500 | $4,763 |
| $1,000 | $9,527 |
| $5,000 | $47,634 |
| $10,000 | $95,267 |
| $100,000 | $952,672 |
| $1,000,000 | $9,526,722 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1950 spending costs in 2012, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1950 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.70% | $953 |
| Medical care | 5.49% | $2,748 |
| Transportation | 3.71% | $957 |
| Food | 3.64% | $920 |
| Apparel | 1.86% | $313 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1950: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $100 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $111 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $123 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $131 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $161 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $223 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $342 |
| 1985 | 107.6 | 3.6% | $446 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | 5.4% | $542 |
| 1995 | 152.4 | 2.8% | $632 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $715 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $810 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $905 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $953 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1950 to 2012: $100 is worth $953 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1950-to-2012/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1950 to 2012. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1950-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.