U.S. inflation · 2004–2012
$100 in 2004 has the same buying power as
$122
in 2012
| Cumulative price change | 21.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.47% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $122 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $21.54 |
| CPI in 2004 | 188.9 |
| CPI in 2012 | 229.594 |
| Inflation in 2004 | 2.66% |
| Inflation in 2012 | 2.07% |
| $100 in 2004 → 2012 | $122 |
| $100 in 2012 → 2004 | $82.28 |
Between 2004 and 2012, the Consumer Price Index went from 188.9 to 229.594. Cumulatively, prices increased 21.5%, which works out to an average of 2.47% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2004 bought what $0.82 buys in 2012.
| Amount in 2004 | Value in 2012 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.22 |
| $5.00 | $6.08 |
| $10.00 | $12.15 |
| $20.00 | $24.31 |
| $50.00 | $60.77 |
| $100 | $122 |
| $500 | $608 |
| $1,000 | $1,215 |
| $5,000 | $6,077 |
| $10,000 | $12,154 |
| $100,000 | $121,543 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,215,426 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2004 spending costs in 2012, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2004 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.47% | $122 |
| Energy | 6.26% | $163 |
| Medical care | 3.71% | $134 |
| Transportation | 3.65% | $133 |
| Food | 2.89% | $126 |
| Education & communication | 2.30% | $120 |
| Housing | 2.04% | $118 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 1.97% | $117 |
| Recreation | 0.69% | $106 |
| Apparel | 0.60% | $105 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $100 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $103 |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.2% | $107 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $110 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $114 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $114 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $115 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $119 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $122 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2004 to 2012: $100 is worth $122 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2004-to-2012/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2004 to 2012. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2004-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.