U.S. inflation · 1972–1980
$100 in 1972 has the same buying power as
$197
in 1980
| Cumulative price change | 97.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 8.85% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $197 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $97.13 |
| CPI in 1972 | 41.8 |
| CPI in 1980 | 82.4 |
| Inflation in 1972 | 3.21% |
| Inflation in 1980 | 13.50% |
| $100 in 1972 → 1980 | $197 |
| $100 in 1980 → 1972 | $50.73 |
Between 1972 and 1980, the Consumer Price Index went from 41.8 to 82.4. Cumulatively, prices increased 97.1%, which works out to an average of 8.85% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1972 bought what $0.51 buys in 1980.
| Amount in 1972 | Value in 1980 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.97 |
| $5.00 | $9.86 |
| $10.00 | $19.71 |
| $20.00 | $39.43 |
| $50.00 | $98.56 |
| $100 | $197 |
| $500 | $986 |
| $1,000 | $1,971 |
| $5,000 | $9,856 |
| $10,000 | $19,713 |
| $100,000 | $197,129 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,971,292 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1972 spending costs in 1980, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1972 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 8.85% | $197 |
| Energy | 15.48% | $316 |
| Transportation | 9.60% | $208 |
| Food | 9.47% | $206 |
| Housing | 9.44% | $206 |
| Medical care | 9.11% | $201 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 7.89% | $184 |
| Apparel | 4.84% | $146 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1972: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1972 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $100 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $106 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $118 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $129 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $136 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $145 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $156 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $174 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $197 |
1980 sat at the very peak of the Great Inflation. Prices rose 13.5% in that single year, mortgage rates were climbing toward 16%, and the Federal Reserve under Paul Volcker was administering the painful interest-rate medicine that would finally break the inflationary spiral, at the cost of the deep 1981–82 recession. No single year looms larger in how Americans think about inflation.
MLA: “Inflation from 1972 to 1980: $100 is worth $197 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1972-to-1980/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1972 to 1980. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1972-to-1980/
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.