U.S. inflation · 2012–2022
$100 in 2012 has the same buying power as
$127
in 2022
| Cumulative price change | 27.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.46% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $127 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $27.47 |
| CPI in 2012 | 229.594 |
| CPI in 2022 | 292.655 |
| Inflation in 2012 | 2.07% |
| Inflation in 2022 | 8.00% |
| $100 in 2012 → 2022 | $127 |
| $100 in 2022 → 2012 | $78.45 |
Between 2012 and 2022, the Consumer Price Index went from 229.594 to 292.655. Cumulatively, prices increased 27.5%, which works out to an average of 2.46% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2012 bought what $0.78 buys in 2022.
| Amount in 2012 | Value in 2022 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.27 |
| $5.00 | $6.37 |
| $10.00 | $12.75 |
| $20.00 | $25.49 |
| $50.00 | $63.73 |
| $100 | $127 |
| $500 | $637 |
| $1,000 | $1,275 |
| $5,000 | $6,373 |
| $10,000 | $12,747 |
| $100,000 | $127,466 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,274,663 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2012 spending costs in 2022, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2012 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.46% | $127 |
| Housing | 3.05% | $135 |
| Medical care | 2.79% | $132 |
| Food | 2.71% | $131 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.51% | $128 |
| Transportation | 2.05% | $123 |
| Energy | 1.94% | $121 |
| Recreation | 1.33% | $114 |
| Education & communication | 0.72% | $107 |
| Apparel | 0.06% | $101 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $100 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $101 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $103 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $103 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $105 |
| 2017 | 245.12 | 2.1% | $107 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $109 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $111 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $113 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $118 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $127 |
2022 was the year inflation returned. Consumer prices rose 8.0% on average, the worst since 1981, driven by pandemic-era supply chains, stimulus-fueled demand, and an energy shock from the war in Ukraine. Gas briefly topped $5 a gallon nationally for the first time ever, and “inflation” became the top-ranked economic concern in nearly every poll of American households.
MLA: “Inflation from 2012 to 2022: $100 is worth $127 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2012-to-2022/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2012 to 2022. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2012-to-2022/
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.