U.S. inflation · 2020–2026
$100 in 2020 has the same buying power as
$128
in 2026
| Cumulative price change | 27.8% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 4.17% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $128 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $27.79 |
| CPI in 2020 | 258.811 |
| CPI in 2026 | 330.724 |
| Inflation in 2020 | 1.23% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 2.73% |
| $100 in 2020 → 2026 | $128 |
| $100 in 2026 → 2020 | $78.26 |
Uses a partial-year average for the current year; updates with each CPI release.
Between 2020 and 2026, the Consumer Price Index went from 258.811 to 330.724. Cumulatively, prices increased 27.8%, which works out to an average of 4.17% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 2020 bought what $0.78 buys in 2026.
| Amount in 2020 | Value in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.28 |
| $5.00 | $6.39 |
| $10.00 | $12.78 |
| $20.00 | $25.56 |
| $50.00 | $63.89 |
| $100 | $128 |
| $500 | $639 |
| $1,000 | $1,278 |
| $5,000 | $6,389 |
| $10,000 | $12,779 |
| $100,000 | $127,786 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,277,859 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 2020 spending costs in 2026, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 2020 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 4.17% | $128 |
| Energy | 7.90% | $158 |
| Transportation | 5.88% | $141 |
| Housing | 4.60% | $131 |
| Food | 4.48% | $130 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.80% | $125 |
| Recreation | 2.78% | $118 |
| Apparel | 2.40% | $115 |
| Medical care | 2.23% | $114 |
| Education & communication | 0.76% | $105 |
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $100 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $105 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $113 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $118 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $121 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $124 |
| 2026 | 330.724 | 2.7% | $128 |
MLA: “Inflation from 2020 to 2026: $100 is worth $128 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2020-to-2026/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 2020 to 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/2020-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.