U.S. inflation · 2018–2026
$100 in 2018 has the same buying power as
$132
in 2026
| Cumulative price change | 32.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 3.54% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $132 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $32.08 |
| CPI in 2018 | 251.107 |
| CPI in 2026 | 331.655 |
| Inflation in 2018 | 2.44% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 3.02% |
| $100 in 2018 → 2026 | $132 |
| $100 in 2026 → 2018 | $75.71 |
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 331.655. Cumulatively, prices increased 32.1%, which works out to an average of 3.54% 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 | $6.60 |
| $10.00 | $13.21 |
| $20.00 | $26.42 |
| $50.00 | $66.04 |
| $100 | $132 |
| $500 | $660 |
| $1,000 | $1,321 |
| $5,000 | $6,604 |
| $10,000 | $13,208 |
| $100,000 | $132,077 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,320,772 |
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) | 3.54% | $132 |
| Energy | 4.59% | $143 |
| Housing | 4.12% | $138 |
| Food | 4.05% | $137 |
| Transportation | 3.86% | $135 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.36% | $130 |
| Medical care | 2.54% | $122 |
| Recreation | 2.44% | $121 |
| Apparel | 0.99% | $108 |
| Education & communication | 0.93% | $108 |
| 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 | 331.655 | 3.0% | $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.