U.S. inflation · 1977–1983
$100 in 1977 has the same buying power as
$164
in 1983
| Cumulative price change | 64.4% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 8.63% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $164 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $64.36 |
| CPI in 1977 | 60.6 |
| CPI in 1983 | 99.6 |
| Inflation in 1977 | 6.50% |
| Inflation in 1983 | 3.21% |
| $100 in 1977 → 1983 | $164 |
| $100 in 1983 → 1977 | $60.84 |
Between 1977 and 1983, the Consumer Price Index went from 60.6 to 99.6. Cumulatively, prices increased 64.4%, which works out to an average of 8.63% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1977 bought what $0.61 buys in 1983.
| Amount in 1977 | Value in 1983 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.64 |
| $5.00 | $8.22 |
| $10.00 | $16.44 |
| $20.00 | $32.87 |
| $50.00 | $82.18 |
| $100 | $164 |
| $500 | $822 |
| $1,000 | $1,644 |
| $5,000 | $8,218 |
| $10,000 | $16,436 |
| $100,000 | $164,356 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,643,564 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1977 spending costs in 1983, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1977 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 8.63% | $164 |
| Energy | 12.45% | $202 |
| Medical care | 9.93% | $176 |
| Housing | 9.60% | $173 |
| Transportation | 9.06% | $168 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 8.51% | $163 |
| Food | 7.20% | $152 |
| Apparel | 4.13% | $127 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1977: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1977 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $100 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $108 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $120 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $136 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $150 |
| 1982 | 96.5 | 6.2% | $159 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $164 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1977 to 1983: $100 is worth $164 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1977-to-1983/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1977 to 1983. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1977-to-1983/
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.