U.S. inflation · 1951–1953
$100 in 1951 has the same buying power as
$103
in 1953
| Cumulative price change | 2.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.34% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $103 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $2.69 |
| CPI in 1951 | 26 |
| CPI in 1953 | 26.7 |
| Inflation in 1951 | 7.88% |
| Inflation in 1953 | 0.75% |
| $100 in 1951 → 1953 | $103 |
| $100 in 1953 → 1951 | $97.38 |
Between 1951 and 1953, the Consumer Price Index went from 26 to 26.7. Cumulatively, prices increased 2.7%, which works out to an average of 1.34% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1951 bought what $0.97 buys in 1953.
| Amount in 1951 | Value in 1953 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.03 |
| $5.00 | $5.13 |
| $10.00 | $10.27 |
| $20.00 | $20.54 |
| $50.00 | $51.35 |
| $100 | $103 |
| $500 | $513 |
| $1,000 | $1,027 |
| $5,000 | $5,135 |
| $10,000 | $10,269 |
| $100,000 | $102,692 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,026,923 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1951 spending costs in 1953, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1951 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.34% | $103 |
| Transportation | 4.86% | $110 |
| Medical care | 4.31% | $109 |
| Food | 0.18% | $100 |
| Apparel | -0.92% | $98.18 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1951: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1951 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $100 |
| 1952 | 26.5 | 1.9% | $102 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $103 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1951 to 1953: $100 is worth $103 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1951-to-1953/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1951 to 1953. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1951-to-1953/
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.