U.S. inflation · 2008–2012
$100 in 2008 has the same buying power as
$107
in 2012
| Cumulative price change | 6.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.62% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $107 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $6.64 |
| CPI in 2008 | 215.303 |
| CPI in 2012 | 229.594 |
| Inflation in 2008 | 3.84% |
| Inflation in 2012 | 2.07% |
| $100 in 2008 → 2012 | $107 |
| $100 in 2012 → 2008 | $93.78 |
Between 2008 and 2012, the Consumer Price Index went from 215.303 to 229.594. Cumulatively, prices increased 6.6%, which works out to an average of 1.62% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2008 bought what $0.94 buys in 2012.
| Amount in 2008 | Value in 2012 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.07 |
| $5.00 | $5.33 |
| $10.00 | $10.66 |
| $20.00 | $21.33 |
| $50.00 | $53.32 |
| $100 | $107 |
| $500 | $533 |
| $1,000 | $1,066 |
| $5,000 | $5,332 |
| $10,000 | $10,664 |
| $100,000 | $106,638 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,066,376 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2008 spending costs in 2012, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2008 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.62% | $107 |
| Medical care | 3.32% | $114 |
| Transportation | 2.68% | $111 |
| Food | 2.22% | $109 |
| Education & communication | 2.00% | $108 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 1.61% | $107 |
| Apparel | 1.51% | $106 |
| Energy | 0.98% | $104 |
| Housing | 0.74% | $103 |
| Recreation | 0.32% | $101 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $100 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $99.64 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $101 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $104 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $107 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2008 to 2012: $100 is worth $107 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2008-to-2012/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2008 to 2012. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2008-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.