U.S. inflation · 1960–1968
$100 in 1960 has the same buying power as
$118
in 1968
| Cumulative price change | 17.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.04% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $118 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $17.57 |
| CPI in 1960 | 29.6 |
| CPI in 1968 | 34.8 |
| Inflation in 1960 | 1.72% |
| Inflation in 1968 | 4.19% |
| $100 in 1960 → 1968 | $118 |
| $100 in 1968 → 1960 | $85.06 |
Between 1960 and 1968, the Consumer Price Index went from 29.6 to 34.8. Cumulatively, prices increased 17.6%, which works out to an average of 2.04% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1960 bought what $0.85 buys in 1968.
| Amount in 1960 | Value in 1968 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.18 |
| $5.00 | $5.88 |
| $10.00 | $11.76 |
| $20.00 | $23.51 |
| $50.00 | $58.78 |
| $100 | $118 |
| $500 | $588 |
| $1,000 | $1,176 |
| $5,000 | $5,878 |
| $10,000 | $11,757 |
| $100,000 | $117,568 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,175,676 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1960 spending costs in 1968, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1960 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.04% | $118 |
| Medical care | 3.73% | $134 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.16% | $119 |
| Food | 2.05% | $118 |
| Apparel | 2.04% | $118 |
| Transportation | 1.77% | $115 |
| Energy | 0.97% | $108 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1960: housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1960 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $100 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $101 |
| 1962 | 30.2 | 1.0% | $102 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $103 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $105 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $106 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $109 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $113 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $118 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1960 to 1968: $100 is worth $118 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1960-to-1968/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1960 to 1968. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1960-to-1968/
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.