U.S. inflation · 1996–2002
$100 in 1996 has the same buying power as
$115
in 2002
| Cumulative price change | 14.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.31% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $115 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $14.66 |
| CPI in 1996 | 156.9 |
| CPI in 2002 | 179.9 |
| Inflation in 1996 | 2.95% |
| Inflation in 2002 | 1.58% |
| $100 in 1996 → 2002 | $115 |
| $100 in 2002 → 1996 | $87.22 |
Between 1996 and 2002, the Consumer Price Index went from 156.9 to 179.9. Cumulatively, prices increased 14.7%, which works out to an average of 2.31% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1996 bought what $0.87 buys in 2002.
| Amount in 1996 | Value in 2002 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.15 |
| $5.00 | $5.73 |
| $10.00 | $11.47 |
| $20.00 | $22.93 |
| $50.00 | $57.33 |
| $100 | $115 |
| $500 | $573 |
| $1,000 | $1,147 |
| $5,000 | $5,733 |
| $10,000 | $11,466 |
| $100,000 | $114,659 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,146,590 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1996 spending costs in 2002, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1996 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.31% | $115 |
| Medical care | 3.81% | $125 |
| Housing | 2.80% | $118 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.36% | $115 |
| Food | 2.35% | $115 |
| Education & communication | 2.09% | $113 |
| Energy | 1.68% | $111 |
| Recreation | 1.45% | $109 |
| Transportation | 1.12% | $107 |
| Apparel | -1.00% | $94.15 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 156.9 | 3.0% | $100 |
| 1997 | 160.5 | 2.3% | $102 |
| 1998 | 163 | 1.6% | $104 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $106 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $110 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $113 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $115 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1996 to 2002: $100 is worth $115 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1996-to-2002/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1996 to 2002. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1996-to-2002/
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.