U.S. inflation · 1995–2003
$100 in 1995 has the same buying power as
$121
in 2003
| Cumulative price change | 20.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.38% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $121 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $20.73 |
| CPI in 1995 | 152.4 |
| CPI in 2003 | 184 |
| Inflation in 1995 | 2.83% |
| Inflation in 2003 | 2.28% |
| $100 in 1995 → 2003 | $121 |
| $100 in 2003 → 1995 | $82.83 |
Between 1995 and 2003, the Consumer Price Index went from 152.4 to 184. Cumulatively, prices increased 20.7%, which works out to an average of 2.38% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1995 bought what $0.83 buys in 2003.
| Amount in 1995 | Value in 2003 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.21 |
| $5.00 | $6.04 |
| $10.00 | $12.07 |
| $20.00 | $24.15 |
| $50.00 | $60.37 |
| $100 | $121 |
| $500 | $604 |
| $1,000 | $1,207 |
| $5,000 | $6,037 |
| $10,000 | $12,073 |
| $100,000 | $120,735 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,207,349 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1995 spending costs in 2003, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1995 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.38% | $121 |
| Medical care | 3.80% | $135 |
| Energy | 3.31% | $130 |
| Housing | 2.77% | $124 |
| Food | 2.44% | $121 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.29% | $120 |
| Education & communication | 2.21% | $119 |
| Recreation | 1.62% | $114 |
| Transportation | 1.57% | $113 |
| Apparel | -1.09% | $91.59 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 152.4 | 2.8% | $100 |
| 1996 | 156.9 | 3.0% | $103 |
| 1997 | 160.5 | 2.3% | $105 |
| 1998 | 163 | 1.6% | $107 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $109 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $113 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $116 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $118 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $121 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1995 to 2003: $100 is worth $121 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1995-to-2003/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1995 to 2003. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1995-to-2003/
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.