U.S. inflation · 2018–2026
$100 in 2018 has the same buying power as
$132
in 2026
| Cumulative price change | 31.7% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.50% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $132 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $31.71 |
| CPI in 2018 | 251.107 |
| CPI in 2026 | 330.724 |
| Inflation in 2018 | 2.44% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 2.73% |
| $100 in 2018 → 2026 | $132 |
| $100 in 2026 → 2018 | $75.93 |
Uses a partial-year average for the current year; updates with each CPI release.
Between 2018 and 2026, the Consumer Price Index went from 251.107 to 330.724. Cumulatively, prices increased 31.7%, which works out to an average of 3.50% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2018 bought what $0.76 buys in 2026.
| Amount in 2018 | Value in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.32 |
| $5.00 | $6.59 |
| $10.00 | $13.17 |
| $20.00 | $26.34 |
| $50.00 | $65.85 |
| $100 | $132 |
| $500 | $659 |
| $1,000 | $1,317 |
| $5,000 | $6,585 |
| $10,000 | $13,171 |
| $100,000 | $131,706 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,317,064 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2018 spending costs in 2026, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2018 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 3.50% | $132 |
| Energy | 4.42% | $141 |
| Housing | 4.08% | $138 |
| Food | 4.02% | $137 |
| Transportation | 3.79% | $135 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.33% | $130 |
| Medical care | 2.53% | $122 |
| Recreation | 2.41% | $121 |
| Apparel | 1.01% | $108 |
| Education & communication | 0.89% | $107 |
| 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 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $108 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $117 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $121 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $125 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $128 |
| 2026 | 330.724 | 2.7% | $132 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2018 to 2026: $100 is worth $132 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2018-to-2026/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2018 to 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2018-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.