U.S. inflation · 1957–2019
$100 in 1957 has the same buying power as
$910
in 2019
| Cumulative price change | 809.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.63% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $910 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $810 |
| CPI in 1957 | 28.1 |
| CPI in 2019 | 255.657 |
| Inflation in 1957 | 3.31% |
| Inflation in 2019 | 1.81% |
| $100 in 1957 → 2019 | $910 |
| $100 in 2019 → 1957 | $10.99 |
Between 1957 and 2019, the Consumer Price Index went from 28.1 to 255.657. Cumulatively, prices increased 809.8%, which works out to an average of 3.63% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1957 bought what $0.11 buys in 2019.
| Amount in 1957 | Value in 2019 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $9.10 |
| $5.00 | $45.49 |
| $10.00 | $90.98 |
| $20.00 | $182 |
| $50.00 | $455 |
| $100 | $910 |
| $500 | $4,549 |
| $1,000 | $9,098 |
| $5,000 | $45,491 |
| $10,000 | $90,981 |
| $100,000 | $909,811 |
| $1,000,000 | $9,098,114 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1957 spending costs in 2019, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1957 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.63% | $910 |
| Medical care | 5.35% | $2,530 |
| Energy | 3.79% | $1,001 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.63% | $911 |
| Food | 3.60% | $894 |
| Transportation | 3.32% | $758 |
| Apparel | 1.67% | $279 |
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 |
| 1962 | 30.2 | 1.0% | $107 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $119 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $149 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $216 |
| 1982 | 96.5 | 6.2% | $343 |
| 1987 | 113.6 | 3.6% | $404 |
| 1992 | 140.3 | 3.0% | $499 |
| 1997 | 160.5 | 2.3% | $571 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $640 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $738 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $817 |
| 2017 | 245.12 | 2.1% | $872 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $910 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1957 to 2019: $100 is worth $910 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1957-to-2019/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1957 to 2019. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1957-to-2019/
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.