U.S. inflation · 1953–1960
$100 in 1953 has the same buying power as
$111
in 1960
| Cumulative price change | 10.9% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.48% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $111 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $10.86 |
| CPI in 1953 | 26.7 |
| CPI in 1960 | 29.6 |
| Inflation in 1953 | 0.75% |
| Inflation in 1960 | 1.72% |
| $100 in 1953 → 1960 | $111 |
| $100 in 1960 → 1953 | $90.20 |
Between 1953 and 1960, the Consumer Price Index went from 26.7 to 29.6. Cumulatively, prices increased 10.9%, which works out to an average of 1.48% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1953 bought what $0.90 buys in 1960.
| Amount in 1953 | Value in 1960 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.11 |
| $5.00 | $5.54 |
| $10.00 | $11.09 |
| $20.00 | $22.17 |
| $50.00 | $55.43 |
| $100 | $111 |
| $500 | $554 |
| $1,000 | $1,109 |
| $5,000 | $5,543 |
| $10,000 | $11,086 |
| $100,000 | $110,861 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,108,614 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1953 spending costs in 1960, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1953 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.48% | $111 |
| Medical care | 3.69% | $129 |
| Transportation | 1.69% | $112 |
| Apparel | 0.84% | $106 |
| Food | 0.84% | $106 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1953: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1953 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $100 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $101 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $100 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $102 |
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $105 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $108 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $109 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $111 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1953 to 1960: $100 is worth $111 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1953-to-1960/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1953 to 1960. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1953-to-1960/
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.