U.S. inflation · 2011–2021
$100 in 2011 has the same buying power as
$120
in 2021
| Cumulative price change | 20.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.88% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $120 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $20.46 |
| CPI in 2011 | 224.939 |
| CPI in 2021 | 270.97 |
| Inflation in 2011 | 3.16% |
| Inflation in 2021 | 4.70% |
| $100 in 2011 → 2021 | $120 |
| $100 in 2021 → 2011 | $83.01 |
Between 2011 and 2021, the Consumer Price Index went from 224.939 to 270.97. Cumulatively, prices increased 20.5%, which works out to an average of 1.88% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2011 bought what $0.83 buys in 2021.
| Amount in 2011 | Value in 2021 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.20 |
| $5.00 | $6.02 |
| $10.00 | $12.05 |
| $20.00 | $24.09 |
| $50.00 | $60.23 |
| $100 | $120 |
| $500 | $602 |
| $1,000 | $1,205 |
| $5,000 | $6,023 |
| $10,000 | $12,046 |
| $100,000 | $120,464 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,204,638 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2011 spending costs in 2021, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2011 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.88% | $120 |
| Medical care | 2.76% | $131 |
| Housing | 2.51% | $128 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.11% | $123 |
| Food | 2.00% | $122 |
| Recreation | 1.00% | $110 |
| Transportation | 0.83% | $109 |
| Education & communication | 0.82% | $108 |
| Apparel | -0.09% | $99.08 |
| Energy | -0.23% | $97.71 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $100 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $102 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $104 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $105 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $105 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $107 |
| 2017 | 245.12 | 2.1% | $109 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $112 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $114 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $115 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $120 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2011 to 2021: $100 is worth $120 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2011-to-2021/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2011 to 2021. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2011-to-2021/
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.