U.S. inflation · 1959–2021
$100 in 1959 has the same buying power as
$931
in 2021
| Cumulative price change | 831.2% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.66% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $931 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $831 |
| CPI in 1959 | 29.1 |
| CPI in 2021 | 270.97 |
| Inflation in 1959 | 0.69% |
| Inflation in 2021 | 4.70% |
| $100 in 1959 → 2021 | $931 |
| $100 in 2021 → 1959 | $10.74 |
Between 1959 and 2021, the Consumer Price Index went from 29.1 to 270.97. Cumulatively, prices increased 831.2%, which works out to an average of 3.66% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1959 bought what $0.11 buys in 2021.
| Amount in 1959 | Value in 2021 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $9.31 |
| $5.00 | $46.56 |
| $10.00 | $93.12 |
| $20.00 | $186 |
| $50.00 | $466 |
| $100 | $931 |
| $500 | $4,656 |
| $1,000 | $9,312 |
| $5,000 | $46,558 |
| $10,000 | $93,117 |
| $100,000 | $931,168 |
| $1,000,000 | $9,311,684 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1959 spending costs in 2021, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1959 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.66% | $931 |
| Medical care | 5.29% | $2,443 |
| Energy | 3.93% | $1,088 |
| Food | 3.67% | $935 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.64% | $918 |
| Transportation | 3.36% | $774 |
| Apparel | 1.61% | $269 |
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 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $107 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $126 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $169 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $249 |
| 1984 | 103.9 | 4.3% | $357 |
| 1989 | 124 | 4.8% | $426 |
| 1994 | 148.2 | 2.6% | $509 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $573 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $649 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $737 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $814 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $879 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $931 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1959 to 2021: $100 is worth $931 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1959-to-2021/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1959 to 2021. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1959-to-2021/
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.