U.S. inflation · 1970–1978
$100 in 1970 has the same buying power as
$168
in 1978
| Cumulative price change | 68.0% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 6.70% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $168 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $68.04 |
| CPI in 1970 | 38.8 |
| CPI in 1978 | 65.2 |
| Inflation in 1970 | 5.72% |
| Inflation in 1978 | 7.59% |
| $100 in 1970 → 1978 | $168 |
| $100 in 1978 → 1970 | $59.51 |
Between 1970 and 1978, the Consumer Price Index went from 38.8 to 65.2. Cumulatively, prices increased 68.0%, which works out to an average of 6.70% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1970 bought what $0.60 buys in 1978.
| Amount in 1970 | Value in 1978 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.68 |
| $5.00 | $8.40 |
| $10.00 | $16.80 |
| $20.00 | $33.61 |
| $50.00 | $84.02 |
| $100 | $168 |
| $500 | $840 |
| $1,000 | $1,680 |
| $5,000 | $8,402 |
| $10,000 | $16,804 |
| $100,000 | $168,041 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,680,412 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1970 spending costs in 1978, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1970 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 6.70% | $168 |
| Energy | 9.45% | $206 |
| Food | 7.90% | $184 |
| Medical care | 7.76% | $182 |
| Housing | 6.97% | $171 |
| Transportation | 6.42% | $165 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.10% | $161 |
| Apparel | 4.06% | $138 |
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 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $139 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $147 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $156 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $168 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1970 to 1978: $100 is worth $168 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1970-to-1978/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1970 to 1978. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1970-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.