U.S. inflation · 2002–2026
$100 in 2002 has the same buying power as
$184
in 2026
| Cumulative price change | 84.4% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.58% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $184 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $84.36 |
| CPI in 2002 | 179.9 |
| CPI in 2026 | 331.655 |
| Inflation in 2002 | 1.58% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 3.02% |
| $100 in 2002 → 2026 | $184 |
| $100 in 2026 → 2002 | $54.24 |
Uses a partial-year average for the current year; updates with each CPI release.
Between 2002 and 2026, the Consumer Price Index went from 179.9 to 331.655. Cumulatively, prices increased 84.4%, which works out to an average of 2.58% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2002 bought what $0.54 buys in 2026.
| Amount in 2002 | Value in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.84 |
| $5.00 | $9.22 |
| $10.00 | $18.44 |
| $20.00 | $36.87 |
| $50.00 | $92.18 |
| $100 | $184 |
| $500 | $922 |
| $1,000 | $1,844 |
| $5,000 | $9,218 |
| $10,000 | $18,436 |
| $100,000 | $184,355 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,843,552 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2002 spending costs in 2026, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2002 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.58% | $184 |
| Energy | 4.04% | $259 |
| Medical care | 3.09% | $207 |
| Housing | 2.89% | $198 |
| Food | 2.88% | $198 |
| Transportation | 2.63% | $187 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.39% | $176 |
| Education & communication | 1.31% | $137 |
| Recreation | 1.29% | $136 |
| Apparel | 0.38% | $110 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $100 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $102 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $105 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $109 |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.2% | $112 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $115 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $120 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $119 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $121 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $125 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $128 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $129 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $132 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $132 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $133 |
| 2017 | 245.12 | 2.1% | $136 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $140 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $142 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $144 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $151 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $163 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $169 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $174 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $179 |
| 2026 | 331.655 | 3.0% | $184 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2002 to 2026: $100 is worth $184 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2002-to-2026/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2002 to 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2002-to-2026/
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.