U.S. inflation · 1957–1959
$100 in 1957 has the same buying power as
$104
in 1959
| Cumulative price change | 3.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.76% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $104 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $3.56 |
| CPI in 1957 | 28.1 |
| CPI in 1959 | 29.1 |
| Inflation in 1957 | 3.31% |
| Inflation in 1959 | 0.69% |
| $100 in 1957 → 1959 | $104 |
| $100 in 1959 → 1957 | $96.56 |
Between 1957 and 1959, the Consumer Price Index went from 28.1 to 29.1. Cumulatively, prices increased 3.6%, which works out to an average of 1.76% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1957 bought what $0.97 buys in 1959.
| Amount in 1957 | Value in 1959 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.04 |
| $5.00 | $5.18 |
| $10.00 | $10.36 |
| $20.00 | $20.71 |
| $50.00 | $51.78 |
| $100 | $104 |
| $500 | $518 |
| $1,000 | $1,036 |
| $5,000 | $5,178 |
| $10,000 | $10,356 |
| $100,000 | $103,559 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,035,587 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1957 spending costs in 1959, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1957 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.76% | $104 |
| Medical care | 4.47% | $109 |
| Transportation | 3.72% | $108 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.22% | $104 |
| Food | 1.37% | $103 |
| Energy | 0.93% | $102 |
| Apparel | 0.56% | $101 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1957: housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1957 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $100 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $103 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $104 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1957 to 1959: $100 is worth $104 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1957-to-1959/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1957 to 1959. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1957-to-1959/
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.