U.S. inflation · 1966–1973
$100 in 1966 has the same buying power as
$137
in 1973
| Cumulative price change | 37.0% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.60% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $137 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $37.04 |
| CPI in 1966 | 32.4 |
| CPI in 1973 | 44.4 |
| Inflation in 1966 | 2.86% |
| Inflation in 1973 | 6.22% |
| $100 in 1966 → 1973 | $137 |
| $100 in 1973 → 1966 | $72.97 |
Between 1966 and 1973, the Consumer Price Index went from 32.4 to 44.4. Cumulatively, prices increased 37.0%, which works out to an average of 4.60% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1966 bought what $0.73 buys in 1973.
| Amount in 1966 | Value in 1973 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.37 |
| $5.00 | $6.85 |
| $10.00 | $13.70 |
| $20.00 | $27.41 |
| $50.00 | $68.52 |
| $100 | $137 |
| $500 | $685 |
| $1,000 | $1,370 |
| $5,000 | $6,852 |
| $10,000 | $13,704 |
| $100,000 | $137,037 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,370,370 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1966 spending costs in 1973, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1966 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.60% | $137 |
| Medical care | 5.71% | $148 |
| Food | 5.20% | $143 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 4.50% | $136 |
| Apparel | 4.03% | $132 |
| Transportation | 3.54% | $128 |
| Energy | 3.38% | $126 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1966: housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1966 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $100 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $103 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $107 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $113 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $120 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $125 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $129 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $137 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1966 to 1973: $100 is worth $137 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1966-to-1973/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1966 to 1973. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1966-to-1973/
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.