U.S. inflation · 1957–1988
$100 in 1957 has the same buying power as
$421
in 1988
| Cumulative price change | 321.0% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.75% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $421 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $321 |
| CPI in 1957 | 28.1 |
| CPI in 1988 | 118.3 |
| Inflation in 1957 | 3.31% |
| Inflation in 1988 | 4.14% |
| $100 in 1957 → 1988 | $421 |
| $100 in 1988 → 1957 | $23.75 |
Between 1957 and 1988, the Consumer Price Index went from 28.1 to 118.3. Cumulatively, prices increased 321.0%, which works out to an average of 4.75% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1957 bought what $0.24 buys in 1988.
| Amount in 1957 | Value in 1988 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $4.21 |
| $5.00 | $21.05 |
| $10.00 | $42.10 |
| $20.00 | $84.20 |
| $50.00 | $210 |
| $100 | $421 |
| $500 | $2,105 |
| $1,000 | $4,210 |
| $5,000 | $21,050 |
| $10,000 | $42,100 |
| $100,000 | $420,996 |
| $1,000,000 | $4,209,964 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1957 spending costs in 1988, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1957 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.75% | $421 |
| Medical care | 6.50% | $704 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 4.79% | $427 |
| Energy | 4.70% | $415 |
| Food | 4.65% | $409 |
| Transportation | 4.51% | $392 |
| Apparel | 3.12% | $259 |
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 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $104 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $106 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $109 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $112 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $119 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $131 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $144 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $158 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $191 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $216 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $258 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $323 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $354 |
| 1985 | 107.6 | 3.6% | $383 |
| 1987 | 113.6 | 3.6% | $404 |
| 1988 | 118.3 | 4.1% | $421 |
Long periods are sampled every 2 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1957 to 1988: $100 is worth $421 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1957-to-1988/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1957 to 1988. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1957-to-1988/
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.