U.S. inflation · 1999–2012
$100 in 1999 has the same buying power as
$138
in 2012
| Cumulative price change | 37.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.50% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $138 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $37.81 |
| CPI in 1999 | 166.6 |
| CPI in 2012 | 229.594 |
| Inflation in 1999 | 2.21% |
| Inflation in 2012 | 2.07% |
| $100 in 1999 → 2012 | $138 |
| $100 in 2012 → 1999 | $72.56 |
Between 1999 and 2012, the Consumer Price Index went from 166.6 to 229.594. Cumulatively, prices increased 37.8%, which works out to an average of 2.50% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1999 bought what $0.73 buys in 2012.
| Amount in 1999 | Value in 2012 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.38 |
| $5.00 | $6.89 |
| $10.00 | $13.78 |
| $20.00 | $27.56 |
| $50.00 | $68.91 |
| $100 | $138 |
| $500 | $689 |
| $1,000 | $1,378 |
| $5,000 | $6,891 |
| $10,000 | $13,781 |
| $100,000 | $137,812 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,378,115 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1999 spending costs in 2012, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1999 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.50% | $138 |
| Energy | 6.65% | $231 |
| Medical care | 3.95% | $166 |
| Transportation | 3.20% | $151 |
| Food | 2.76% | $142 |
| Housing | 2.39% | $136 |
| Education & communication | 2.17% | $132 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.03% | $130 |
| Recreation | 0.91% | $112 |
| Apparel | -0.30% | $96.17 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $100 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $103 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $106 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $108 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $110 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $113 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $117 |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.2% | $121 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $124 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $129 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $129 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $131 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $135 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $138 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1999 to 2012: $100 is worth $138 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1999-to-2012/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1999 to 2012. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1999-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.