U.S. inflation · 1952–1980
$100 in 1952 has the same buying power as
$311
in 1980
| Cumulative price change | 210.9% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.13% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $311 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $211 |
| CPI in 1952 | 26.5 |
| CPI in 1980 | 82.4 |
| Inflation in 1952 | 1.92% |
| Inflation in 1980 | 13.50% |
| $100 in 1952 → 1980 | $311 |
| $100 in 1980 → 1952 | $32.16 |
Between 1952 and 1980, the Consumer Price Index went from 26.5 to 82.4. Cumulatively, prices increased 210.9%, which works out to an average of 4.13% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1952 bought what $0.32 buys in 1980.
| Amount in 1952 | Value in 1980 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $3.11 |
| $5.00 | $15.55 |
| $10.00 | $31.09 |
| $20.00 | $62.19 |
| $50.00 | $155 |
| $100 | $311 |
| $500 | $1,555 |
| $1,000 | $3,109 |
| $5,000 | $15,547 |
| $10,000 | $31,094 |
| $100,000 | $310,943 |
| $1,000,000 | $3,109,434 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1952 spending costs in 1980, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1952 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.13% | $311 |
| Medical care | 5.51% | $449 |
| Transportation | 4.28% | $323 |
| Food | 4.03% | $302 |
| Apparel | 2.67% | $209 |
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 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $109 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $110 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $112 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $113 |
| 1962 | 30.2 | 1.0% | $114 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $115 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $117 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $119 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $122 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $126 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $131 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $138 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $146 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $153 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $158 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $168 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $186 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $203 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $215 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $229 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $246 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $274 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $311 |
1980 sat at the very peak of the Great Inflation. Prices rose 13.5% in that single year, mortgage rates were climbing toward 16%, and the Federal Reserve under Paul Volcker was administering the painful interest-rate medicine that would finally break the inflationary spiral, at the cost of the deep 1981–82 recession. No single year looms larger in how Americans think about inflation.
MLA: “Inflation from 1952 to 1980: $100 is worth $311 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1952-to-1980/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1952 to 1980. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1952-to-1980/
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.