U.S. inflation · 1966–1976
$100 in 1966 has the same buying power as
$176
in 1976
| Cumulative price change | 75.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 5.79% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $176 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $75.62 |
| CPI in 1966 | 32.4 |
| CPI in 1976 | 56.9 |
| Inflation in 1966 | 2.86% |
| Inflation in 1976 | 5.76% |
| $100 in 1966 → 1976 | $176 |
| $100 in 1976 → 1966 | $56.94 |
Between 1966 and 1976, the Consumer Price Index went from 32.4 to 56.9. Cumulatively, prices increased 75.6%, which works out to an average of 5.79% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1966 bought what $0.57 buys in 1976.
| Amount in 1966 | Value in 1976 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.76 |
| $5.00 | $8.78 |
| $10.00 | $17.56 |
| $20.00 | $35.12 |
| $50.00 | $87.81 |
| $100 | $176 |
| $500 | $878 |
| $1,000 | $1,756 |
| $5,000 | $8,781 |
| $10,000 | $17,562 |
| $100,000 | $175,617 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,756,173 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1966 spending costs in 1976, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1966 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 5.79% | $176 |
| Medical care | 7.05% | $198 |
| Energy | 6.83% | $194 |
| Food | 6.19% | $182 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 5.53% | $171 |
| Transportation | 5.49% | $171 |
| Apparel | 4.38% | $153 |
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 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $152 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $166 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $176 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1966 to 1976: $100 is worth $176 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1966-to-1976/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1966 to 1976. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1966-to-1976/
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.