U.S. inflation · 1976–1980
$100 in 1976 has the same buying power as
$145
in 1980
| Cumulative price change | 44.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 9.70% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $145 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $44.82 |
| CPI in 1976 | 56.9 |
| CPI in 1980 | 82.4 |
| Inflation in 1976 | 5.76% |
| Inflation in 1980 | 13.50% |
| $100 in 1976 → 1980 | $145 |
| $100 in 1980 → 1976 | $69.05 |
Between 1976 and 1980, the Consumer Price Index went from 56.9 to 82.4. Cumulatively, prices increased 44.8%, which works out to an average of 9.70% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1976 bought what $0.69 buys in 1980.
| Amount in 1976 | Value in 1980 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.45 |
| $5.00 | $7.24 |
| $10.00 | $14.48 |
| $20.00 | $28.96 |
| $50.00 | $72.41 |
| $100 | $145 |
| $500 | $724 |
| $1,000 | $1,448 |
| $5,000 | $7,241 |
| $10,000 | $14,482 |
| $100,000 | $144,815 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,448,155 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1976 spending costs in 1980, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1976 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 9.70% | $145 |
| Energy | 17.51% | $191 |
| Transportation | 10.82% | $151 |
| Housing | 10.81% | $151 |
| Medical care | 9.55% | $144 |
| Food | 8.95% | $141 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 8.92% | $141 |
| Apparel | 4.85% | $121 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1976: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1976 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $100 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $107 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $115 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $128 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $145 |
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 1976 to 1980: $100 is worth $145 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1976-to-1980/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1976 to 1980. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1976-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.