$100 in 2016 is worth $138 in 2026,
because prices increased 38.4% over that period, an average of
3.31% a year.
$100 in 2016 has
the same buying power as
$138
in 2026
Detailed inflation statistics
Cumulative price change
38.4%
Average inflation rate
3.31% per year
Converted amount ($100 base)
$138
Price difference ($100 base)
$38.43
CPI in 2016
240.007
CPI in 2026
332.243
Inflation in 2016
1.26%
Inflation in 2026
3.20%
$100 in 2016 → 2026
$138
$100 in 2026 → 2016
$72.24
Uses a partial-year average for the current year; updates with each CPI release.
What happened to prices between 2016 and 2026
Between 2016 and 2026, the Consumer Price Index went from 240.007 to 332.243.
Cumulatively, prices increased 38.4%, which works out to an average of
3.31% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2016 bought what
$0.72 buys in 2026: the 2016 dollar
lost 27.8% of its purchasing power over
these 10 years.
2016 opened with the cheapest oil in more than a decade and closed with a
change in political direction. Crude fell to about $26 a barrel in February,
and gasoline averaged $2.14 a gallon for the year, its lowest annual
average since 2004. Headline inflation was 1.3%, a modest rebound from 2015’s
0.1%, though prices excluding food and energy rose faster, driven by rents and
health care.
Median household income rose to $59,039, the second large gain in a row, and
the median new home sold for about $307,800. The federal minimum wage held at
$7.25, and a first-class stamp fell to 47 cents after a January rate cut, a
rare decrease.
Two votes changed the outlook. Britain’s June decision to leave the European
Union unsettled currency markets, and the U.S. election in November raised
expectations of tax cuts, deficits, and faster growth, sending long-term
interest rates higher. OPEC’s November output cut ended the oil slump, and the
Federal Reserve made its second rate increase in December, to 0.50–0.75%.
Every 2016 amount converts to 2026 at the same ratio, 1.38: $1,000 becomes
$1,384, and $10,000 becomes $13,843.
Amount in 2016
Value in 2026
$1.00
$1.38
$5.00
$6.92
$10.00
$13.84
$20.00
$27.69
$50.00
$69.22
$100
$138
$500
$692
$1,000
$1,384
$5,000
$6,922
$10,000
$13,843
$100,000
$138,431
$1,000,000
$1,384,305
Inflation by spending category, 2016–2026
Between 2016 and 2026, energy rose the most, up 67.7%, while education & communication rose the least, up 6.2%, against 38.4% for all items. The headline number is an average; here is what $100 of 2016
spending costs in 2026, by category:
Category
Avg. yearly inflation
$100 in 2016 →
All items (CPI-U)
3.31%
$138
Energy
5.31%
$168
Transportation
3.93%
$147
Housing
3.89%
$147
Food
3.47%
$141
Core (all items less food & energy)
3.10%
$136
Medical care
2.48%
$128
Recreation
2.14%
$124
Apparel
0.79%
$108
Education & communication
0.60%
$106
Decade by decade: 2016 to 2026
Prices climbed fastest in the 2020s, averaging 4.25% a year, and slowest in the 2010s (1.90% a year). Each step below chains into the full 2016–2026 change:
Years
Avg. yearly inflation
Price change
$100 from 2016, at end
2016–2020
1.90%
7.8%
$108
2020–2026
4.25%
28.4%
$138
Year by year: CPI and the value of $100 from 2016
$100 from 2016 had already become $113 by
2021, on its way to $138 in 2026; each row shows the CPI, that
year's inflation rate, and the running value.
Within the span, inflation peaked at 8.0% in 2022, and the smallest rise was 1.2% in 2020.
In 2026, prices rose 3.2% and $100 from 2016 had the buying
power of $138; the year's average CPI of 332.243 is the level
behind every 2026 figure on this page.
Cite this page
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/