U.S. inflation · 1953–2018
$100 in 1953 has the same buying power as
$940
in 2018
| Cumulative price change | 840.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.51% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $940 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $840 |
| CPI in 1953 | 26.7 |
| CPI in 2018 | 251.107 |
| Inflation in 1953 | 0.75% |
| Inflation in 2018 | 2.44% |
| $100 in 1953 → 2018 | $940 |
| $100 in 2018 → 1953 | $10.63 |
Between 1953 and 2018, the Consumer Price Index went from 26.7 to 251.107. Cumulatively, prices increased 840.5%, which works out to an average of 3.51% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1953 bought what $0.11 buys in 2018.
| Amount in 1953 | Value in 2018 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $9.40 |
| $5.00 | $47.02 |
| $10.00 | $94.05 |
| $20.00 | $188 |
| $50.00 | $470 |
| $100 | $940 |
| $500 | $4,702 |
| $1,000 | $9,405 |
| $5,000 | $47,024 |
| $10,000 | $94,048 |
| $100,000 | $940,476 |
| $1,000,000 | $9,404,757 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1953 spending costs in 2018, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1953 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.51% | $940 |
| Medical care | 5.26% | $2,802 |
| Food | 3.43% | $896 |
| Transportation | 3.24% | $795 |
| Apparel | 1.66% | $292 |
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 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $108 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $115 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $130 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $166 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $244 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $373 |
| 1988 | 118.3 | 4.1% | $443 |
| 1993 | 144.5 | 3.0% | $541 |
| 1998 | 163 | 1.6% | $610 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $689 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $806 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $872 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $940 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1953 to 2018: $100 is worth $940 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1953-to-2018/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1953 to 2018. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1953-to-2018/
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.