U.S. inflation · 1954–2015
$100 in 1954 has the same buying power as
$881
in 2015
| Cumulative price change | 781.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.63% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $881 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $781 |
| CPI in 1954 | 26.9 |
| CPI in 2015 | 237.017 |
| Inflation in 1954 | 0.75% |
| Inflation in 2015 | 0.12% |
| $100 in 1954 → 2015 | $881 |
| $100 in 2015 → 1954 | $11.35 |
Between 1954 and 2015, the Consumer Price Index went from 26.9 to 237.017. Cumulatively, prices increased 781.1%, which works out to an average of 3.63% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1954 bought what $0.11 buys in 2015.
| Amount in 1954 | Value in 2015 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $8.81 |
| $5.00 | $44.06 |
| $10.00 | $88.11 |
| $20.00 | $176 |
| $50.00 | $441 |
| $100 | $881 |
| $500 | $4,406 |
| $1,000 | $8,811 |
| $5,000 | $44,055 |
| $10,000 | $88,110 |
| $100,000 | $881,104 |
| $1,000,000 | $8,811,041 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1954 spending costs in 2015, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1954 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.63% | $881 |
| Medical care | 5.43% | $2,510 |
| Food | 3.62% | $877 |
| Transportation | 3.39% | $763 |
| Apparel | 1.77% | $292 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1954: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1954 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $100 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $108 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $115 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $136 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $183 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $270 |
| 1984 | 103.9 | 4.3% | $386 |
| 1989 | 124 | 4.8% | $461 |
| 1994 | 148.2 | 2.6% | $551 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $619 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $702 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $798 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $880 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $881 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1954 to 2015: $100 is worth $881 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1954-to-2015/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1954 to 2015. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1954-to-2015/
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.