U.S. inflation · 1965–1971
$100 in 1965 has the same buying power as
$129
in 1971
| Cumulative price change | 28.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.28% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $129 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $28.57 |
| CPI in 1965 | 31.5 |
| CPI in 1971 | 40.5 |
| Inflation in 1965 | 1.61% |
| Inflation in 1971 | 4.38% |
| $100 in 1965 → 1971 | $129 |
| $100 in 1971 → 1965 | $77.78 |
Between 1965 and 1971, the Consumer Price Index went from 31.5 to 40.5. Cumulatively, prices increased 28.6%, which works out to an average of 4.28% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1965 bought what $0.78 buys in 1971.
| Amount in 1965 | Value in 1971 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.29 |
| $5.00 | $6.43 |
| $10.00 | $12.86 |
| $20.00 | $25.71 |
| $50.00 | $64.29 |
| $100 | $129 |
| $500 | $643 |
| $1,000 | $1,286 |
| $5,000 | $6,429 |
| $10,000 | $12,857 |
| $100,000 | $128,571 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,285,714 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1965 spending costs in 1971, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1965 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.28% | $129 |
| Medical care | 6.17% | $143 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 4.55% | $131 |
| Apparel | 4.18% | $128 |
| Food | 3.85% | $125 |
| Transportation | 3.63% | $124 |
| Energy | 2.46% | $116 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1965: housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1965 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $100 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $103 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $106 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $110 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $117 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $123 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $129 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1965 to 1971: $100 is worth $129 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1965-to-1971/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1965 to 1971. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1965-to-1971/
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.