Inflation Calculator
What a dollar amount from any year since 1913 is worth today, from the government's Consumer Price Index through August 2026, and whether your savings rate is beating inflation.
What $100 from past years is worth in August 2026
| $100 in | Worth in August 2026 | Prices since then |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | $1,671.39 | +1571% |
| 1930 | $2,005.87 | +1906% |
| 1940 | $2,391.35 | +2291% |
| 1950 | $1,391.86 | +1292% |
| 1960 | $1,132.65 | +1033% |
| 1970 | $862.79 | +763% |
| 1980 | $406.49 | +306% |
| 1990 | $256.38 | +156% |
| 2000 | $194.53 | +95% |
| 2010 | $153.62 | +54% |
| 2020 | $129.43 | +29% |
Inflation by year (change in the yearly average CPI)
| Year | Inflation | $100 then, in August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.7% | $103.98 |
| 2024 | 2.9% | $106.79 |
| 2023 | 4.1% | $109.94 |
| 2022 | 8.0% | $114.46 |
| 2021 | 4.7% | $123.62 |
| 2020 | 1.2% | $129.43 |
| 2019 | 1.8% | $131.03 |
| 2018 | 2.4% | $133.40 |
| 2017 | 2.1% | $136.66 |
| 2016 | 1.3% | $139.57 |
| 2015 | 0.1% | $141.33 |
| 2014 | 1.6% | $141.50 |
| 2013 | 1.5% | $143.79 |
| 2012 | 2.1% | $145.90 |
| 2011 | 3.2% | $148.92 |
How this calculator works
The calculator scales an amount by the ratio of the Consumer Price Index in the two years: value = amount × CPI(later) ÷ CPI(earlier). It uses CPI-U, the index for all urban consumers, all items, US city average, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each year's figure is its yearly average; the current year uses the latest month, August 2026.
Average yearly inflation is the compound rate that turns one index into the other over the years between them.
Whether savings beat inflation compares your APY with the price change over the last 12 months: real return = (1 + APY) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1.
What it assumes
- CPI measures an average basket of goods and services; your own costs may have risen faster or slower.
- October 2025 CPI was never published, because the federal shutdown stopped data collection. We estimate it from the months either side, and that month feeds the 2025 average.
- Savings interest is taxed, so real return after tax is lower. The after-tax yield calculator handles that part.
Questions people ask
What is $100 in 1970 worth today?
$862.79 in August 2026: prices are 8.6 times what they were in 1970.
What was the inflation rate in 2025?
2.7%, measured as the change in the yearly average CPI-U from 2024. In 2024 it was 2.9%.
What is the inflation rate right now?
Prices rose 3.4% over the 12 months to August 2026, by CPI-U before seasonal adjustment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a new month's figure around the middle of the next month.
Is my savings account beating inflation?
Only if its APY is above inflation. With prices up 3.4% in a year, a 4% APY gains about 0.58% in buying power a year before tax, and a 0.5% APY loses about 2.80%.
How is inflation measured?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics prices a basket of goods and services each month across US cities and publishes the Consumer Price Index. The change in the index over a period is the inflation rate for that period.
Why is October 2025 missing from CPI data?
The federal government shutdown in October and November 2025 stopped BLS price collection, so no October 2025 index was published. This calculator estimates it from September and November and says so.
Terms explained
Related calculators
Sources
Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.