U.S. inflation · 1959–2022
$100 in 1959 has the same buying power as
$1,006
in 2022
| Cumulative price change | 905.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.73% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,006 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $906 |
| CPI in 1959 | 29.1 |
| CPI in 2022 | 292.655 |
| Inflation in 1959 | 0.69% |
| Inflation in 2022 | 8.00% |
| $100 in 1959 → 2022 | $1,006 |
| $100 in 2022 → 1959 | $9.94 |
Between 1959 and 2022, the Consumer Price Index went from 29.1 to 292.655. Cumulatively, prices increased 905.7%, which works out to an average of 3.73% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1959 bought what $0.10 buys in 2022.
| Amount in 1959 | Value in 2022 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $10.06 |
| $5.00 | $50.28 |
| $10.00 | $101 |
| $20.00 | $201 |
| $50.00 | $503 |
| $100 | $1,006 |
| $500 | $5,028 |
| $1,000 | $10,057 |
| $5,000 | $50,284 |
| $10,000 | $100,569 |
| $100,000 | $1,005,687 |
| $1,000,000 | $10,056,873 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1959 spending costs in 2022, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1959 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.73% | $1,006 |
| Medical care | 5.27% | $2,542 |
| Energy | 4.23% | $1,362 |
| Food | 3.77% | $1,028 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.68% | $975 |
| Transportation | 3.54% | $894 |
| Apparel | 1.66% | $282 |
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 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $1,006 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
2022 was the year inflation returned. Consumer prices rose 8.0% on average, the worst since 1981, driven by pandemic-era supply chains, stimulus-fueled demand, and an energy shock from the war in Ukraine. Gas briefly topped $5 a gallon nationally for the first time ever, and “inflation” became the top-ranked economic concern in nearly every poll of American households.
MLA: “Inflation from 1959 to 2022: $100 is worth $1,006 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1959-to-2022/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1959 to 2022. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1959-to-2022/
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.