U.S. inflation · 1969–1978
$100 in 1969 has the same buying power as
$178
in 1978
| Cumulative price change | 77.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 6.59% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $178 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $77.66 |
| CPI in 1969 | 36.7 |
| CPI in 1978 | 65.2 |
| Inflation in 1969 | 5.46% |
| Inflation in 1978 | 7.59% |
| $100 in 1969 → 1978 | $178 |
| $100 in 1978 → 1969 | $56.29 |
Between 1969 and 1978, the Consumer Price Index went from 36.7 to 65.2. Cumulatively, prices increased 77.7%, which works out to an average of 6.59% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1969 bought what $0.56 buys in 1978.
| Amount in 1969 | Value in 1978 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.78 |
| $5.00 | $8.88 |
| $10.00 | $17.77 |
| $20.00 | $35.53 |
| $50.00 | $88.83 |
| $100 | $178 |
| $500 | $888 |
| $1,000 | $1,777 |
| $5,000 | $8,883 |
| $10,000 | $17,766 |
| $100,000 | $177,657 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,776,567 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1969 spending costs in 1978, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1969 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 6.59% | $178 |
| Energy | 8.69% | $212 |
| Food | 7.65% | $194 |
| Medical care | 7.62% | $194 |
| Housing | 6.98% | $184 |
| Transportation | 6.27% | $173 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.11% | $171 |
| Apparel | 4.08% | $143 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1969: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $100 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $106 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $110 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $114 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $121 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $134 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $147 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $155 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $165 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $178 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1969 to 1978: $100 is worth $178 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1969-to-1978/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1969 to 1978. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1969-to-1978/
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.