U.S. inflation · 1971–1979
$100 in 1971 has the same buying power as
$179
in 1979
| Cumulative price change | 79.3% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 7.57% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $179 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $79.26 |
| CPI in 1971 | 40.5 |
| CPI in 1979 | 72.6 |
| Inflation in 1971 | 4.38% |
| Inflation in 1979 | 11.35% |
| $100 in 1971 → 1979 | $179 |
| $100 in 1979 → 1971 | $55.79 |
Between 1971 and 1979, the Consumer Price Index went from 40.5 to 72.6. Cumulatively, prices increased 79.3%, which works out to an average of 7.57% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1971 bought what $0.56 buys in 1979.
| Amount in 1971 | Value in 1979 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.79 |
| $5.00 | $8.96 |
| $10.00 | $17.93 |
| $20.00 | $35.85 |
| $50.00 | $89.63 |
| $100 | $179 |
| $500 | $896 |
| $1,000 | $1,793 |
| $5,000 | $8,963 |
| $10,000 | $17,926 |
| $100,000 | $179,259 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,792,593 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1971 spending costs in 1979, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1971 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 7.57% | $179 |
| Energy | 12.02% | $248 |
| Food | 8.90% | $198 |
| Medical care | 8.14% | $187 |
| Housing | 7.95% | $184 |
| Transportation | 7.51% | $178 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.73% | $168 |
| Apparel | 4.20% | $139 |
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 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $179 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1971 to 1979: $100 is worth $179 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1971-to-1979/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1971 to 1979. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1971-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.