U.S. inflation · 1971–1978
$100 in 1971 has the same buying power as
$161
in 1978
| Cumulative price change | 61.0% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 7.04% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $161 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $60.99 |
| CPI in 1971 | 40.5 |
| CPI in 1978 | 65.2 |
| Inflation in 1971 | 4.38% |
| Inflation in 1978 | 7.59% |
| $100 in 1971 → 1978 | $161 |
| $100 in 1978 → 1971 | $62.12 |
Between 1971 and 1978, the Consumer Price Index went from 40.5 to 65.2. Cumulatively, prices increased 61.0%, which works out to an average of 7.04% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1971 bought what $0.62 buys in 1978.
| Amount in 1971 | Value in 1978 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.61 |
| $5.00 | $8.05 |
| $10.00 | $16.10 |
| $20.00 | $32.20 |
| $50.00 | $80.49 |
| $100 | $161 |
| $500 | $805 |
| $1,000 | $1,610 |
| $5,000 | $8,049 |
| $10,000 | $16,099 |
| $100,000 | $160,988 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,609,877 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1971 spending costs in 1978, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1971 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 7.04% | $161 |
| Energy | 10.26% | $198 |
| Food | 8.61% | $178 |
| Medical care | 7.98% | $171 |
| Housing | 7.34% | $164 |
| Transportation | 6.58% | $156 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.30% | $153 |
| Apparel | 4.18% | $133 |
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 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $140 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $150 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $161 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1971 to 1978: $100 is worth $161 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1971-to-1978/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1971 to 1978. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1971-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.