U.S. inflation · 2004–2015
$100 in 2004 has the same buying power as
$125
in 2015
| Cumulative price change | 25.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.08% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $125 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $25.47 |
| CPI in 2004 | 188.9 |
| CPI in 2015 | 237.017 |
| Inflation in 2004 | 2.66% |
| Inflation in 2015 | 0.12% |
| $100 in 2004 → 2015 | $125 |
| $100 in 2015 → 2004 | $79.70 |
Between 2004 and 2015, the Consumer Price Index went from 188.9 to 237.017. Cumulatively, prices increased 25.5%, which works out to an average of 2.08% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2004 bought what $0.80 buys in 2015.
| Amount in 2004 | Value in 2015 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.25 |
| $5.00 | $6.27 |
| $10.00 | $12.55 |
| $20.00 | $25.09 |
| $50.00 | $62.74 |
| $100 | $125 |
| $500 | $627 |
| $1,000 | $1,255 |
| $5,000 | $6,274 |
| $10,000 | $12,547 |
| $100,000 | $125,472 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,254,722 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2004 spending costs in 2015, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2004 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.08% | $125 |
| Medical care | 3.37% | $144 |
| Energy | 2.70% | $134 |
| Food | 2.61% | $133 |
| Housing | 2.10% | $126 |
| Education & communication | 1.96% | $124 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 1.92% | $123 |
| Transportation | 1.83% | $122 |
| Recreation | 0.60% | $107 |
| Apparel | 0.41% | $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 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $123 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $125 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $125 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2004 to 2015: $100 is worth $125 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2004-to-2015/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2004 to 2015. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2004-to-2015/
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.