U.S. inflation · 2016–2026
$100 in 2016 has the same buying power as
$138
in 2026
| Cumulative price change | 37.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.26% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $138 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $37.80 |
| CPI in 2016 | 240.007 |
| CPI in 2026 | 330.724 |
| Inflation in 2016 | 1.26% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 2.73% |
| $100 in 2016 → 2026 | $138 |
| $100 in 2026 → 2016 | $72.57 |
Uses a partial-year average for the current year; updates with each CPI release.
Between 2016 and 2026, the Consumer Price Index went from 240.007 to 330.724. Cumulatively, prices increased 37.8%, which works out to an average of 3.26% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2016 bought what $0.73 buys in 2026.
| Amount in 2016 | Value in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.38 |
| $5.00 | $6.89 |
| $10.00 | $13.78 |
| $20.00 | $27.56 |
| $50.00 | $68.90 |
| $100 | $138 |
| $500 | $689 |
| $1,000 | $1,378 |
| $5,000 | $6,890 |
| $10,000 | $13,780 |
| $100,000 | $137,798 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,377,976 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2016 spending costs in 2026, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2016 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.26% | $138 |
| Energy | 5.07% | $164 |
| Housing | 3.85% | $146 |
| Transportation | 3.82% | $146 |
| Food | 3.44% | $140 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.06% | $135 |
| Medical care | 2.48% | $128 |
| Recreation | 2.11% | $123 |
| Apparel | 0.77% | $108 |
| Education & communication | 0.54% | $106 |
| 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 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $122 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $127 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $131 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $134 |
| 2026 | 330.724 | 2.7% | $138 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2016 to 2026: $100 is worth $138 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2016-to-2026/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2016 to 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2016-to-2026/
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.