U.S. inflation · 1998–2012
$100 in 1998 has the same buying power as
$141
in 2012
| Cumulative price change | 40.9% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.48% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $141 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $40.86 |
| CPI in 1998 | 163 |
| CPI in 2012 | 229.594 |
| Inflation in 1998 | 1.56% |
| Inflation in 2012 | 2.07% |
| $100 in 1998 → 2012 | $141 |
| $100 in 2012 → 1998 | $70.99 |
Between 1998 and 2012, the Consumer Price Index went from 163 to 229.594. Cumulatively, prices increased 40.9%, which works out to an average of 2.48% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1998 bought what $0.71 buys in 2012.
| Amount in 1998 | Value in 2012 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.41 |
| $5.00 | $7.04 |
| $10.00 | $14.09 |
| $20.00 | $28.17 |
| $50.00 | $70.43 |
| $100 | $141 |
| $500 | $704 |
| $1,000 | $1,409 |
| $5,000 | $7,043 |
| $10,000 | $14,086 |
| $100,000 | $140,855 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,408,552 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1998 spending costs in 2012, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1998 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.48% | $141 |
| Energy | 6.43% | $239 |
| Medical care | 3.92% | $171 |
| Transportation | 3.11% | $153 |
| Food | 2.71% | $145 |
| Housing | 2.37% | $139 |
| Education & communication | 2.08% | $133 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.03% | $133 |
| Recreation | 0.91% | $113 |
| Apparel | -0.37% | $94.94 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 163 | 1.6% | $100 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $102 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $106 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $109 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $110 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $113 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $116 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $120 |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.2% | $124 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $127 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $132 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $132 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $134 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $138 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $141 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1998 to 2012: $100 is worth $141 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1998-to-2012/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1998 to 2012. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1998-to-2012/
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.