U.S. inflation · 2016–2021
$100 in 2016 has the same buying power as
$113
in 2021
| Cumulative price change | 12.9% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.46% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $113 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $12.90 |
| CPI in 2016 | 240.007 |
| CPI in 2021 | 270.97 |
| Inflation in 2016 | 1.26% |
| Inflation in 2021 | 4.70% |
| $100 in 2016 → 2021 | $113 |
| $100 in 2021 → 2016 | $88.57 |
Between 2016 and 2021, the Consumer Price Index went from 240.007 to 270.97. Cumulatively, prices increased 12.9%, which works out to an average of 2.46% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2016 bought what $0.89 buys in 2021.
| Amount in 2016 | Value in 2021 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.13 |
| $5.00 | $5.65 |
| $10.00 | $11.29 |
| $20.00 | $22.58 |
| $50.00 | $56.45 |
| $100 | $113 |
| $500 | $565 |
| $1,000 | $1,129 |
| $5,000 | $5,645 |
| $10,000 | $11,290 |
| $100,000 | $112,901 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,129,009 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2016 spending costs in 2021, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2016 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.46% | $113 |
| Energy | 4.69% | $126 |
| Transportation | 3.43% | $118 |
| Housing | 2.85% | $115 |
| Medical care | 2.53% | $113 |
| Food | 2.30% | $112 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.29% | $112 |
| Recreation | 1.36% | $107 |
| Education & communication | 0.50% | $103 |
| Apparel | -0.81% | $95.99 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $100 |
| 2017 | 245.12 | 2.1% | $102 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $105 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $107 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $108 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $113 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2016 to 2021: $100 is worth $113 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2016-to-2021/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2016 to 2021. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2016-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.