$100 in 2008 is worth $108 in 2013,
because prices increased 8.2% over that period, an average of
1.59% a year.
$100 in 2008 has
the same buying power as
$108
in 2013
Detailed inflation statistics
Cumulative price change
8.2%
Average inflation rate
1.59% per year
Converted amount ($100 base)
$108
Price difference ($100 base)
$8.20
CPI in 2008
215.303
CPI in 2013
232.957
Inflation in 2008
3.84%
Inflation in 2013
1.46%
$100 in 2008 → 2013
$108
$100 in 2013 → 2008
$92.42
What happened to prices between 2008 and 2013
Between 2008 and 2013, the Consumer Price Index went from 215.303 to 232.957.
Cumulatively, prices increased 8.2%, which works out to an average of
1.59% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2008 bought what
$0.92 buys in 2013: the 2008 dollar
lost 7.6% of its purchasing power over
these 5 years.
Inflation averaged 3.8% in 2008, but that figure hides a swing. The 12-month rate reached 5.6% in
July, when oil hit $147 a barrel and gasoline passed $4 a gallon, then fell to 0.1% by December
as crude dropped near $40. For the year, gas averaged $3.27, the highest yet. The financial
system broke in the fall: Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy on September 15, Congress
created the $700 billion TARP bank rescue on October 3, and the Federal Reserve cut its policy
rate to a range of 0–0.25% in December. The median household earned about $50,300, barely
above 2007, and the median new home price fell to $232,100. The minimum wage rose to $6.55 in
July, and a first-class stamp cost 42 cents. The price collapse at the end of 2008 set up the
deflation of 2009.
Every 2008 amount converts to 2013 at the same ratio, 1.08: $1,000 becomes
$1,082, and $10,000 becomes $10,820.
Amount in 2008
Value in 2013
$1.00
$1.08
$5.00
$5.41
$10.00
$10.82
$20.00
$21.64
$50.00
$54.10
$100
$108
$500
$541
$1,000
$1,082
$5,000
$5,410
$10,000
$10,820
$100,000
$108,200
$1,000,000
$1,081,996
Inflation by spending category, 2008–2013
Between 2008 and 2013, medical care rose the most, up 16.8%, while recreation rose the least, up 1.8%, against 8.2% for all items. The headline number is an average; here is what $100 of 2008
spending costs in 2013, by category:
Category
Avg. yearly inflation
$100 in 2008 →
All items (CPI-U)
1.59%
$108
Medical care
3.15%
$117
Transportation
2.14%
$111
Food
2.06%
$111
Education & communication
1.91%
$110
Core (all items less food & energy)
1.64%
$108
Apparel
1.39%
$107
Housing
1.00%
$105
Energy
0.65%
$103
Recreation
0.35%
$102
Decade by decade: 2008 to 2013
Prices climbed fastest in the 2010s, averaging 2.23% a year, and slowest in the 2000s (0.64% a year). Each step below chains into the full 2008–2013 change:
Years
Avg. yearly inflation
Price change
$100 from 2008, at end
2008–2010
0.64%
1.3%
$101
2010–2013
2.23%
6.8%
$108
Year by year: CPI and the value of $100 from 2008
$100 from 2008 had already become $101 by
2010, on its way to $108 in 2013; each row shows the CPI, that
year's inflation rate, and the running value.
Within the span, inflation peaked at 3.2% in 2011, and prices fell 0.4% in 2009, the deepest deflation of the period.
In 2013, prices rose 1.5% and $100 from 2008 had the buying
power of $108; the year's average CPI of 232.957 is the level
behind every 2013 figure on this page.
2013 was a low-inflation year with a lot of noise around the Federal Reserve.
Consumer prices rose 1.5%, below the Fed’s 2% target, and gasoline eased to an
average of $3.51 a gallon. Housing was the exception: the median new home sold
for about $268,900, up sharply from $245,200 in 2012, as the market recovered
from its post-crisis bottom.
The Fed dominated the news. Chairman Ben Bernanke’s May comments about slowing
bond purchases pushed long-term interest rates up by roughly a percentage
point that summer, and mortgages became more expensive within weeks. In
December the Fed finally announced a first small cut to its purchases while
promising to keep short-term rates near zero for a long time.
Washington added its own disruption. A 16-day government shutdown in October
delayed data releases and left a hole in that month’s CPI collection. Median
household income was reported at $53,585, the federal minimum wage stayed at
$7.25, and a first-class stamp cost 46 cents. The decade’s pattern was taking
shape: slow price growth, ultra-low interest rates, and a labor market that
improved gradually.
MLA: “Inflation from 2008 to 2013: $100 is worth $108 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2008-to-2013/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2008 to 2013. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2008-to-2013/