U.S. inflation · 1997–2017
$100 in 1997 has the same buying power as
$153
in 2017
| Cumulative price change | 52.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.14% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $153 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $52.72 |
| CPI in 1997 | 160.5 |
| CPI in 2017 | 245.12 |
| Inflation in 1997 | 2.29% |
| Inflation in 2017 | 2.13% |
| $100 in 1997 → 2017 | $153 |
| $100 in 2017 → 1997 | $65.48 |
Between 1997 and 2017, the Consumer Price Index went from 160.5 to 245.12. Cumulatively, prices increased 52.7%, which works out to an average of 2.14% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1997 bought what $0.65 buys in 2017.
| Amount in 1997 | Value in 2017 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.53 |
| $5.00 | $7.64 |
| $10.00 | $15.27 |
| $20.00 | $30.54 |
| $50.00 | $76.36 |
| $100 | $153 |
| $500 | $764 |
| $1,000 | $1,527 |
| $5,000 | $7,636 |
| $10,000 | $15,272 |
| $100,000 | $152,723 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,527,227 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1997 spending costs in 2017, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1997 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.14% | $153 |
| Medical care | 3.59% | $203 |
| Energy | 3.08% | $183 |
| Housing | 2.38% | $160 |
| Food | 2.34% | $159 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.01% | $149 |
| Transportation | 1.69% | $140 |
| Education & communication | 1.65% | $139 |
| Recreation | 0.87% | $119 |
| Apparel | -0.28% | $94.52 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 160.5 | 2.3% | $100 |
| 1998 | 163 | 1.6% | $102 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $104 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $107 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $110 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $112 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $115 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $118 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $122 |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.2% | $126 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $129 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $134 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $134 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $136 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $140 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $143 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $145 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $147 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $148 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $150 |
| 2017 | 245.12 | 2.1% | $153 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1997 to 2017: $100 is worth $153 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1997-to-2017/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1997 to 2017. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1997-to-2017/
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.