U.S. inflation · 1975–1980
$100 in 1975 has the same buying power as
$153
in 1980
| Cumulative price change | 53.2% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 8.90% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $153 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $53.16 |
| CPI in 1975 | 53.8 |
| CPI in 1980 | 82.4 |
| Inflation in 1975 | 9.13% |
| Inflation in 1980 | 13.50% |
| $100 in 1975 → 1980 | $153 |
| $100 in 1980 → 1975 | $65.29 |
Between 1975 and 1980, the Consumer Price Index went from 53.8 to 82.4. Cumulatively, prices increased 53.2%, which works out to an average of 8.90% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1975 bought what $0.65 buys in 1980.
| Amount in 1975 | Value in 1980 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.53 |
| $5.00 | $7.66 |
| $10.00 | $15.32 |
| $20.00 | $30.63 |
| $50.00 | $76.58 |
| $100 | $153 |
| $500 | $766 |
| $1,000 | $1,532 |
| $5,000 | $7,658 |
| $10,000 | $15,316 |
| $100,000 | $153,160 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,531,599 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1975 spending costs in 1980, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1975 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 8.90% | $153 |
| Energy | 15.36% | $204 |
| Transportation | 10.65% | $166 |
| Housing | 9.85% | $160 |
| Medical care | 9.54% | $158 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 8.43% | $150 |
| Food | 7.74% | $145 |
| Apparel | 4.63% | $125 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1975: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1975 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $100 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $106 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $113 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $121 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $135 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $153 |
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 1975 to 1980: $100 is worth $153 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1975-to-1980/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1975 to 1980. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1975-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.