U.S. inflation · 1965–1972
$100 in 1965 has the same buying power as
$133
in 1972
| Cumulative price change | 32.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.12% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $133 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $32.70 |
| CPI in 1965 | 31.5 |
| CPI in 1972 | 41.8 |
| Inflation in 1965 | 1.61% |
| Inflation in 1972 | 3.21% |
| $100 in 1965 → 1972 | $133 |
| $100 in 1972 → 1965 | $75.36 |
Between 1965 and 1972, the Consumer Price Index went from 31.5 to 41.8. Cumulatively, prices increased 32.7%, which works out to an average of 4.12% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1965 bought what $0.75 buys in 1972.
| Amount in 1965 | Value in 1972 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.33 |
| $5.00 | $6.63 |
| $10.00 | $13.27 |
| $20.00 | $26.54 |
| $50.00 | $66.35 |
| $100 | $133 |
| $500 | $663 |
| $1,000 | $1,327 |
| $5,000 | $6,635 |
| $10,000 | $13,270 |
| $100,000 | $132,698 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,326,984 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1965 spending costs in 1972, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1965 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.12% | $133 |
| Medical care | 5.76% | $148 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 4.33% | $135 |
| Food | 3.90% | $131 |
| Apparel | 3.86% | $130 |
| Transportation | 3.25% | $125 |
| Energy | 2.49% | $119 |
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 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $133 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1965 to 1972: $100 is worth $133 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1965-to-1972/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1965 to 1972. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1965-to-1972/
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.