U.S. inflation · 1970–1979
$100 in 1970 has the same buying power as
$187
in 1979
| Cumulative price change | 87.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 7.21% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $187 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $87.11 |
| CPI in 1970 | 38.8 |
| CPI in 1979 | 72.6 |
| Inflation in 1970 | 5.72% |
| Inflation in 1979 | 11.35% |
| $100 in 1970 → 1979 | $187 |
| $100 in 1979 → 1970 | $53.44 |
Between 1970 and 1979, the Consumer Price Index went from 38.8 to 72.6. Cumulatively, prices increased 87.1%, which works out to an average of 7.21% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1970 bought what $0.53 buys in 1979.
| Amount in 1970 | Value in 1979 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.87 |
| $5.00 | $9.36 |
| $10.00 | $18.71 |
| $20.00 | $37.42 |
| $50.00 | $93.56 |
| $100 | $187 |
| $500 | $936 |
| $1,000 | $1,871 |
| $5,000 | $9,356 |
| $10,000 | $18,711 |
| $100,000 | $187,113 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,871,134 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1970 spending costs in 1979, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1970 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 7.21% | $187 |
| Energy | 11.09% | $258 |
| Food | 8.23% | $204 |
| Medical care | 7.92% | $199 |
| Housing | 7.55% | $193 |
| Transportation | 7.27% | $188 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.50% | $176 |
| Apparel | 4.09% | $143 |
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 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $187 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1970 to 1979: $100 is worth $187 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1970-to-1979/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1970 to 1979. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1970-to-1979/
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.