U.S. inflation · 1971–1973
$100 in 1971 has the same buying power as
$110
in 1973
| Cumulative price change | 9.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.70% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $110 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $9.63 |
| CPI in 1971 | 40.5 |
| CPI in 1973 | 44.4 |
| Inflation in 1971 | 4.38% |
| Inflation in 1973 | 6.22% |
| $100 in 1971 → 1973 | $110 |
| $100 in 1973 → 1971 | $91.22 |
Between 1971 and 1973, the Consumer Price Index went from 40.5 to 44.4. Cumulatively, prices increased 9.6%, which works out to an average of 4.70% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1971 bought what $0.91 buys in 1973.
| Amount in 1971 | Value in 1973 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.10 |
| $5.00 | $5.48 |
| $10.00 | $10.96 |
| $20.00 | $21.93 |
| $50.00 | $54.81 |
| $100 | $110 |
| $500 | $548 |
| $1,000 | $1,096 |
| $5,000 | $5,481 |
| $10,000 | $10,963 |
| $100,000 | $109,630 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,096,296 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1971 spending costs in 1973, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1971 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.70% | $110 |
| Food | 9.23% | $119 |
| Energy | 5.33% | $111 |
| Housing | 4.13% | $108 |
| Medical care | 3.67% | $107 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.34% | $107 |
| Apparel | 2.82% | $106 |
| Transportation | 2.13% | $104 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1971: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1971 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $100 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $103 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $110 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1971 to 1973: $100 is worth $110 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1971-to-1973/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1971 to 1973. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1971-to-1973/
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.