U.S. inflation · 1959–1964
$100 in 1959 has the same buying power as
$107
in 1964
| Cumulative price change | 6.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.27% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $107 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $6.53 |
| CPI in 1959 | 29.1 |
| CPI in 1964 | 31 |
| Inflation in 1959 | 0.69% |
| Inflation in 1964 | 1.31% |
| $100 in 1959 → 1964 | $107 |
| $100 in 1964 → 1959 | $93.87 |
Between 1959 and 1964, the Consumer Price Index went from 29.1 to 31. Cumulatively, prices increased 6.5%, which works out to an average of 1.27% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1959 bought what $0.94 buys in 1964.
| Amount in 1959 | Value in 1964 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.07 |
| $5.00 | $5.33 |
| $10.00 | $10.65 |
| $20.00 | $21.31 |
| $50.00 | $53.26 |
| $100 | $107 |
| $500 | $533 |
| $1,000 | $1,065 |
| $5,000 | $5,326 |
| $10,000 | $10,653 |
| $100,000 | $106,529 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,065,292 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1959 spending costs in 1964, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1959 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.27% | $107 |
| Medical care | 2.73% | $114 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 1.35% | $107 |
| Food | 1.18% | $106 |
| Transportation | 1.05% | $105 |
| Apparel | 1.00% | $105 |
| Energy | 0.54% | $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 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $105 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $107 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1959 to 1964: $100 is worth $107 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1959-to-1964/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1959 to 1964. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1959-to-1964/
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.