U.S. inflation · 2018–2020
$100 in 2018 has the same buying power as
$103
in 2020
| Cumulative price change | 3.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.52% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $103 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $3.07 |
| CPI in 2018 | 251.107 |
| CPI in 2020 | 258.811 |
| Inflation in 2018 | 2.44% |
| Inflation in 2020 | 1.23% |
| $100 in 2018 → 2020 | $103 |
| $100 in 2020 → 2018 | $97.02 |
Between 2018 and 2020, the Consumer Price Index went from 251.107 to 258.811. Cumulatively, prices increased 3.1%, which works out to an average of 1.52% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2018 bought what $0.97 buys in 2020.
| Amount in 2018 | Value in 2020 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.03 |
| $5.00 | $5.15 |
| $10.00 | $10.31 |
| $20.00 | $20.61 |
| $50.00 | $51.53 |
| $100 | $103 |
| $500 | $515 |
| $1,000 | $1,031 |
| $5,000 | $5,153 |
| $10,000 | $10,307 |
| $100,000 | $103,068 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,030,680 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2018 spending costs in 2020, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2018 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.52% | $103 |
| Medical care | 3.46% | $107 |
| Food | 2.66% | $105 |
| Housing | 2.54% | $105 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 1.95% | $104 |
| Recreation | 1.31% | $103 |
| Education & communication | 1.28% | $103 |
| Transportation | -2.24% | $95.57 |
| Apparel | -3.06% | $93.97 |
| Energy | -5.37% | $89.55 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $100 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $102 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $103 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2018 to 2020: $100 is worth $103 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2018-to-2020/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2018 to 2020. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2018-to-2020/
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.