U.S. inflation · 1996–1998
$100 in 1996 has the same buying power as
$104
in 1998
| Cumulative price change | 3.9% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.93% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $104 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $3.89 |
| CPI in 1996 | 156.9 |
| CPI in 1998 | 163 |
| Inflation in 1996 | 2.95% |
| Inflation in 1998 | 1.56% |
| $100 in 1996 → 1998 | $104 |
| $100 in 1998 → 1996 | $96.26 |
Between 1996 and 1998, the Consumer Price Index went from 156.9 to 163. Cumulatively, prices increased 3.9%, which works out to an average of 1.93% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1996 bought what $0.96 buys in 1998.
| Amount in 1996 | Value in 1998 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.04 |
| $5.00 | $5.19 |
| $10.00 | $10.39 |
| $20.00 | $20.78 |
| $50.00 | $51.94 |
| $100 | $104 |
| $500 | $519 |
| $1,000 | $1,039 |
| $5,000 | $5,194 |
| $10,000 | $10,389 |
| $100,000 | $103,888 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,038,878 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1996 spending costs in 1998, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1996 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.93% | $104 |
| Medical care | 3.00% | $106 |
| Education & communication | 2.59% | $105 |
| Housing | 2.46% | $105 |
| Food | 2.39% | $105 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.33% | $105 |
| Recreation | 1.88% | $104 |
| Apparel | 0.49% | $101 |
| Transportation | -0.49% | $99.02 |
| Energy | -3.33% | $93.46 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 156.9 | 3.0% | $100 |
| 1997 | 160.5 | 2.3% | $102 |
| 1998 | 163 | 1.6% | $104 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1996 to 1998: $100 is worth $104 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1996-to-1998/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1996 to 1998. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1996-to-1998/
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.