U.S. inflation · 1959–1962
$100 in 1959 has the same buying power as
$104
in 1962
| Cumulative price change | 3.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.24% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $104 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $3.78 |
| CPI in 1959 | 29.1 |
| CPI in 1962 | 30.2 |
| Inflation in 1959 | 0.69% |
| Inflation in 1962 | 1.00% |
| $100 in 1959 → 1962 | $104 |
| $100 in 1962 → 1959 | $96.36 |
Between 1959 and 1962, the Consumer Price Index went from 29.1 to 30.2. Cumulatively, prices increased 3.8%, which works out to an average of 1.24% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1959 bought what $0.96 buys in 1962.
| Amount in 1959 | Value in 1962 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.04 |
| $5.00 | $5.19 |
| $10.00 | $10.38 |
| $20.00 | $20.76 |
| $50.00 | $51.89 |
| $100 | $104 |
| $500 | $519 |
| $1,000 | $1,038 |
| $5,000 | $5,189 |
| $10,000 | $10,378 |
| $100,000 | $103,780 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,037,801 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1959 spending costs in 1962, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1959 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.24% | $104 |
| Medical care | 3.01% | $109 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 1.31% | $104 |
| Transportation | 1.11% | $103 |
| Energy | 1.05% | $103 |
| Food | 1.00% | $103 |
| Apparel | 0.95% | $103 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1959: housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $100 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $102 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $103 |
| 1962 | 30.2 | 1.0% | $104 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1959 to 1962: $100 is worth $104 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1959-to-1962/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1959 to 1962. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1959-to-1962/
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.