U.S. inflation · 1960–2021
$100 in 1960 has the same buying power as
$915
in 2021
| Cumulative price change | 815.4% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.70% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $915 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $815 |
| CPI in 1960 | 29.6 |
| CPI in 2021 | 270.97 |
| Inflation in 1960 | 1.72% |
| Inflation in 2021 | 4.70% |
| $100 in 1960 → 2021 | $915 |
| $100 in 2021 → 1960 | $10.92 |
Between 1960 and 2021, the Consumer Price Index went from 29.6 to 270.97. Cumulatively, prices increased 815.4%, which works out to an average of 3.70% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1960 bought what $0.11 buys in 2021.
| Amount in 1960 | Value in 2021 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $9.15 |
| $5.00 | $45.77 |
| $10.00 | $91.54 |
| $20.00 | $183 |
| $50.00 | $458 |
| $100 | $915 |
| $500 | $4,577 |
| $1,000 | $9,154 |
| $5,000 | $45,772 |
| $10,000 | $91,544 |
| $100,000 | $915,439 |
| $1,000,000 | $9,154,392 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1960 spending costs in 2021, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1960 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.70% | $915 |
| Medical care | 5.32% | $2,355 |
| Energy | 3.95% | $1,064 |
| Food | 3.72% | $926 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.68% | $906 |
| Transportation | 3.41% | $774 |
| Apparel | 1.61% | $265 |
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 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $106 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $131 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $182 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $278 |
| 1985 | 107.6 | 3.6% | $364 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | 5.4% | $442 |
| 1995 | 152.4 | 2.8% | $515 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $582 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $660 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $737 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $801 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $874 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $915 |
Long periods are sampled every 5 years; the calculator above covers any pair of years.
MLA: “Inflation from 1960 to 2021: $100 is worth $915 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1960-to-2021/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1960 to 2021. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1960-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.