U.S. inflation · 1966–1979
$100 in 1966 has the same buying power as
$224
in 1979
| Cumulative price change | 124.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 6.40% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $224 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $124 |
| CPI in 1966 | 32.4 |
| CPI in 1979 | 72.6 |
| Inflation in 1966 | 2.86% |
| Inflation in 1979 | 11.35% |
| $100 in 1966 → 1979 | $224 |
| $100 in 1979 → 1966 | $44.63 |
Between 1966 and 1979, the Consumer Price Index went from 32.4 to 72.6. Cumulatively, prices increased 124.1%, which works out to an average of 6.40% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1966 bought what $0.45 buys in 1979.
| Amount in 1966 | Value in 1979 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $2.24 |
| $5.00 | $11.20 |
| $10.00 | $22.41 |
| $20.00 | $44.81 |
| $50.00 | $112 |
| $100 | $224 |
| $500 | $1,120 |
| $1,000 | $2,241 |
| $5,000 | $11,204 |
| $10,000 | $22,407 |
| $100,000 | $224,074 |
| $1,000,000 | $2,240,741 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1966 spending costs in 1979, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1966 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 6.40% | $224 |
| Energy | 8.30% | $282 |
| Medical care | 7.52% | $257 |
| Food | 6.84% | $236 |
| Transportation | 6.19% | $218 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.05% | $215 |
| Apparel | 4.32% | $173 |
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 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $187 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $201 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $224 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1966 to 1979: $100 is worth $224 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1966-to-1979/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1966 to 1979. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1966-to-1979/
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.