U.S. inflation · 1970–1974
$100 in 1970 has the same buying power as
$127
in 1974
| Cumulative price change | 27.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 6.17% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $127 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $27.06 |
| CPI in 1970 | 38.8 |
| CPI in 1974 | 49.3 |
| Inflation in 1970 | 5.72% |
| Inflation in 1974 | 11.04% |
| $100 in 1970 → 1974 | $127 |
| $100 in 1974 → 1970 | $78.70 |
Between 1970 and 1974, the Consumer Price Index went from 38.8 to 49.3. Cumulatively, prices increased 27.1%, which works out to an average of 6.17% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1970 bought what $0.79 buys in 1974.
| Amount in 1970 | Value in 1974 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.27 |
| $5.00 | $6.35 |
| $10.00 | $12.71 |
| $20.00 | $25.41 |
| $50.00 | $63.53 |
| $100 | $127 |
| $500 | $635 |
| $1,000 | $1,271 |
| $5,000 | $6,353 |
| $10,000 | $12,706 |
| $100,000 | $127,062 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,270,619 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1970 spending costs in 1974, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1970 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 6.17% | $127 |
| Energy | 10.56% | $149 |
| Food | 8.88% | $141 |
| Housing | 5.91% | $126 |
| Medical care | 5.67% | $125 |
| Transportation | 5.13% | $122 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 4.90% | $121 |
| Apparel | 4.05% | $117 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1970: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $100 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $104 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $108 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $114 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $127 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1970 to 1974: $100 is worth $127 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1970-to-1974/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1970 to 1974. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1970-to-1974/
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.