U.S. inflation · 1968–1980
$100 in 1968 has the same buying power as
$237
in 1980
| Cumulative price change | 136.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 7.45% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $237 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $137 |
| CPI in 1968 | 34.8 |
| CPI in 1980 | 82.4 |
| Inflation in 1968 | 4.19% |
| Inflation in 1980 | 13.50% |
| $100 in 1968 → 1980 | $237 |
| $100 in 1980 → 1968 | $42.23 |
Between 1968 and 1980, the Consumer Price Index went from 34.8 to 82.4. Cumulatively, prices increased 136.8%, which works out to an average of 7.45% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1968 bought what $0.42 buys in 1980.
| Amount in 1968 | Value in 1980 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $2.37 |
| $5.00 | $11.84 |
| $10.00 | $23.68 |
| $20.00 | $47.36 |
| $50.00 | $118 |
| $100 | $237 |
| $500 | $1,184 |
| $1,000 | $2,368 |
| $5,000 | $11,839 |
| $10,000 | $23,678 |
| $100,000 | $236,782 |
| $1,000,000 | $2,367,816 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1968 spending costs in 1980, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1968 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 7.45% | $237 |
| Energy | 11.15% | $355 |
| Housing | 8.06% | $253 |
| Medical care | 7.95% | $251 |
| Food | 7.79% | $246 |
| Transportation | 7.65% | $242 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.90% | $223 |
| Apparel | 4.48% | $169 |
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 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $120 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $128 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $142 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $155 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $164 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $174 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $187 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $209 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $237 |
1980 sat at the very peak of the Great Inflation. Prices rose 13.5% in that single year, mortgage rates were climbing toward 16%, and the Federal Reserve under Paul Volcker was administering the painful interest-rate medicine that would finally break the inflationary spiral, at the cost of the deep 1981–82 recession. No single year looms larger in how Americans think about inflation.
MLA: “Inflation from 1968 to 1980: $100 is worth $237 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1968-to-1980/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1968 to 1980. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1968-to-1980/
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.