U.S. inflation · 1951–1981
$100 in 1951 has the same buying power as
$350
in 1981
| Cumulative price change | 249.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.26% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $350 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $250 |
| CPI in 1951 | 26 |
| CPI in 1981 | 90.9 |
| Inflation in 1951 | 7.88% |
| Inflation in 1981 | 10.32% |
| $100 in 1951 → 1981 | $350 |
| $100 in 1981 → 1951 | $28.60 |
Between 1951 and 1981, the Consumer Price Index went from 26 to 90.9. Cumulatively, prices increased 249.6%, which works out to an average of 4.26% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1951 bought what $0.29 buys in 1981.
| Amount in 1951 | Value in 1981 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $3.50 |
| $5.00 | $17.48 |
| $10.00 | $34.96 |
| $20.00 | $69.92 |
| $50.00 | $175 |
| $100 | $350 |
| $500 | $1,748 |
| $1,000 | $3,496 |
| $5,000 | $17,481 |
| $10,000 | $34,962 |
| $100,000 | $349,615 |
| $1,000,000 | $3,496,154 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1951 spending costs in 1981, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1951 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.26% | $350 |
| Medical care | 5.66% | $521 |
| Transportation | 4.61% | $387 |
| Food | 4.08% | $332 |
| Apparel | 2.62% | $217 |
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 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $103 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $103 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $105 |
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $108 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $111 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $112 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $114 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $115 |
| 1962 | 30.2 | 1.0% | $116 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $118 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $119 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $121 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $125 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $128 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $134 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $141 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $149 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $156 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $161 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $171 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $190 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $207 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $219 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $233 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $251 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $279 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $317 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $350 |
1981 was the year the inflation fever finally broke, at an extraordinary price. Consumer prices rose 10.3%, the second year of back-to-back double-digit inflation and the last time the U.S. would see one. To end it, Paul Volcker’s Federal Reserve drove its policy rate above 19% and let borrowing costs go where they may: a 30-year mortgage cost more than 18% by autumn, car loans and business credit froze, and homebuilders mailed the Fed two-by-fours in protest. The squeeze tipped the economy into recession in July, the deep 1981–82 downturn that would push unemployment past 10%. But it worked. Inflation fell by nearly half within a year and to under 4% by 1983, the disinflation that defined the following two decades. Even the price of mailing a letter told the year’s story: postage went up twice in eight months.
MLA: “Inflation from 1951 to 1981: $100 is worth $350 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1951-to-1981/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1951 to 1981. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1951-to-1981/
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.