U.S. inflation · 1952–1957
$100 in 1952 has the same buying power as
$106
in 1957
| Cumulative price change | 6.0% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.18% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $106 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $6.04 |
| CPI in 1952 | 26.5 |
| CPI in 1957 | 28.1 |
| Inflation in 1952 | 1.92% |
| Inflation in 1957 | 3.31% |
| $100 in 1952 → 1957 | $106 |
| $100 in 1957 → 1952 | $94.31 |
Between 1952 and 1957, the Consumer Price Index went from 26.5 to 28.1. Cumulatively, prices increased 6.0%, which works out to an average of 1.18% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1952 bought what $0.94 buys in 1957.
| Amount in 1952 | Value in 1957 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.06 |
| $5.00 | $5.30 |
| $10.00 | $10.60 |
| $20.00 | $21.21 |
| $50.00 | $53.02 |
| $100 | $106 |
| $500 | $530 |
| $1,000 | $1,060 |
| $5,000 | $5,302 |
| $10,000 | $10,604 |
| $100,000 | $106,038 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,060,377 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1952 spending costs in 1957, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1952 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.18% | $106 |
| Medical care | 3.36% | $118 |
| Transportation | 1.51% | $108 |
| Apparel | 0.46% | $102 |
| Food | 0.14% | $101 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1952: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1952 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 26.5 | 1.9% | $100 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $101 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $102 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $101 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $103 |
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $106 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1952 to 1957: $100 is worth $106 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1952-to-1957/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1952 to 1957. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1952-to-1957/
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.