U.S. inflation · 2003–2008
$100 in 2003 has the same buying power as
$117
in 2008
| Cumulative price change | 17.0% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.19% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $117 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $17.01 |
| CPI in 2003 | 184 |
| CPI in 2008 | 215.303 |
| Inflation in 2003 | 2.28% |
| Inflation in 2008 | 3.84% |
| $100 in 2003 → 2008 | $117 |
| $100 in 2008 → 2003 | $85.46 |
Between 2003 and 2008, the Consumer Price Index went from 184 to 215.303. Cumulatively, prices increased 17.0%, which works out to an average of 3.19% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2003 bought what $0.85 buys in 2008.
| Amount in 2003 | Value in 2008 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.17 |
| $5.00 | $5.85 |
| $10.00 | $11.70 |
| $20.00 | $23.40 |
| $50.00 | $58.51 |
| $100 | $117 |
| $500 | $585 |
| $1,000 | $1,170 |
| $5,000 | $5,851 |
| $10,000 | $11,701 |
| $100,000 | $117,013 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,170,125 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2003 spending costs in 2008, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2003 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.19% | $117 |
| Energy | 11.64% | $173 |
| Transportation | 4.41% | $124 |
| Medical care | 4.15% | $123 |
| Food | 3.53% | $119 |
| Housing | 3.19% | $117 |
| Education & communication | 2.40% | $113 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.22% | $112 |
| Recreation | 1.05% | $105 |
| Apparel | -0.33% | $98.35 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $100 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $103 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $106 |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.2% | $110 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $113 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $117 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2003 to 2008: $100 is worth $117 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2003-to-2008/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2003 to 2008. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2003-to-2008/
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.