U.S. inflation · 1971–1975
$100 in 1971 has the same buying power as
$133
in 1975
| Cumulative price change | 32.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 7.36% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $133 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $32.84 |
| CPI in 1971 | 40.5 |
| CPI in 1975 | 53.8 |
| Inflation in 1971 | 4.38% |
| Inflation in 1975 | 9.13% |
| $100 in 1971 → 1975 | $133 |
| $100 in 1975 → 1971 | $75.28 |
Between 1971 and 1975, the Consumer Price Index went from 40.5 to 53.8. Cumulatively, prices increased 32.8%, which works out to an average of 7.36% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1971 bought what $0.75 buys in 1975.
| Amount in 1971 | Value in 1975 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.33 |
| $5.00 | $6.64 |
| $10.00 | $13.28 |
| $20.00 | $26.57 |
| $50.00 | $66.42 |
| $100 | $133 |
| $500 | $664 |
| $1,000 | $1,328 |
| $5,000 | $6,642 |
| $10,000 | $13,284 |
| $100,000 | $132,840 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,328,395 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1971 spending costs in 1975, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1971 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 7.36% | $133 |
| Energy | 12.27% | $159 |
| Food | 10.30% | $148 |
| Housing | 7.47% | $133 |
| Medical care | 7.10% | $132 |
| Transportation | 6.12% | $127 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.00% | $126 |
| Apparel | 4.37% | $119 |
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 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $122 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $133 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1971 to 1975: $100 is worth $133 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1971-to-1975/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1971 to 1975. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1971-to-1975/
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.