U.S. inflation · 1968–1971
$100 in 1968 has the same buying power as
$116
in 1971
| Cumulative price change | 16.4% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 5.19% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $116 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $16.38 |
| CPI in 1968 | 34.8 |
| CPI in 1971 | 40.5 |
| Inflation in 1968 | 4.19% |
| Inflation in 1971 | 4.38% |
| $100 in 1968 → 1971 | $116 |
| $100 in 1971 → 1968 | $85.93 |
Between 1968 and 1971, the Consumer Price Index went from 34.8 to 40.5. Cumulatively, prices increased 16.4%, which works out to an average of 5.19% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1968 bought what $0.86 buys in 1971.
| Amount in 1968 | Value in 1971 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.16 |
| $5.00 | $5.82 |
| $10.00 | $11.64 |
| $20.00 | $23.28 |
| $50.00 | $58.19 |
| $100 | $116 |
| $500 | $582 |
| $1,000 | $1,164 |
| $5,000 | $5,819 |
| $10,000 | $11,638 |
| $100,000 | $116,379 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,163,793 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1968 spending costs in 1971, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1968 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 5.19% | $116 |
| Medical care | 6.48% | $121 |
| Housing | 5.90% | $119 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 5.56% | $118 |
| Transportation | 4.82% | $115 |
| Food | 4.60% | $114 |
| Apparel | 4.40% | $114 |
| Energy | 3.07% | $110 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1968: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1968 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $100 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $105 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $111 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $116 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1968 to 1971: $100 is worth $116 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1968-to-1971/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1968 to 1971. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1968-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.