How to use the inflation calculator
- Amount — the dollar figure to convert: an old price, a salary, a savings balance.
- From year — the year that amount belongs to.
- To year — the year you want it expressed in. Pick a later year to adjust an old price for inflation, or an earlier year to see what today's money would have been worth back then.
The big number is the equivalent amount. Below it you'll find the cumulative inflation between the two years, the average annual rate, the index values used and a table of selected years.
The formula
Adjusting for inflation is a ratio of price levels:
Value in year B = Amount × CPIB ÷ CPIA
Cumulative inflation is CPIB ÷ CPIA − 1. The average annual rate is the steady yearly rate that produces the same total: (CPIB ÷ CPIA)1/n − 1, where n is the number of years. It's the same ratio method used by the BLS's own CPI Inflation Calculator — we checked two of its monthly conversions against the published index values. That tool compares single months; this one compares full-year averages.
Worked example
Take a $50,000 salary in 2000. The CPI-U averaged 172.2 in 2000 and 321.943 in 2025, so 50,000 × 321.943 ÷ 172.2 = $93,479. Prices rose 86.96% over those 25 years, an average of 2.53% a year. Someone still earning $50,000 in 2025 could buy only about 53% of what that salary bought in 2000.
What $100 from past years is worth in 2025
| Year | CPI-U | $100 in 2025 dollars | Average inflation per year since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 9.9 | $3,251.95 | 3.16% |
| 1920 | 20.0 | $1,609.72 | 2.68% |
| 1930 | 16.7 | $1,927.80 | 3.16% |
| 1940 | 14.0 | $2,299.59 | 3.76% |
| 1950 | 24.1 | $1,335.86 | 3.52% |
| 1960 | 29.6 | $1,087.65 | 3.74% |
| 1970 | 38.8 | $829.75 | 3.92% |
| 1980 | 82.4 | $390.71 | 3.07% |
| 1990 | 130.7 | $246.32 | 2.61% |
| 2000 | 172.2 | $186.96 | 2.53% |
| 2010 | 218.056 | $147.64 | 2.63% |
| 2020 | 258.811 | $124.39 | 4.46% |
Where the data comes from
The index is the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted — BLS series CUUR0000SA0, with 1982–84 = 100. The BLS says the CPI-U population makes up over 90 percent of the U.S. population. We use the annual averages exactly as published for 1913 through 2025, retrieved from the BLS in October 2026. Two quirks: values before 2007 are published to one decimal place, and the BLS did not collect October 2025 prices because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations, so the 2025 annual average is the mean of the other 11 months. A year is added once its full annual average is published.
A century of price changes
- The highest annual inflation in the series was 17.97% in 1918; the steepest drop was 10.5% in 1921.
- During the Great Depression average prices fell every year from 1930 through 1933; by 1933 they were 23.98% below 1929.
- Inflation hit 13.5% in 1980 and 8% in 2022.
- The only annual decline since 1955 came in 2009 (-0.36%).
Things to keep in mind
- The CPI is an average basket. Your own costs can rise faster or slower — categories such as medical care, housing or tuition move differently from the overall index.
- Different programs use different indexes: Social Security cost-of-living adjustments follow the CPI-W, and federal tax brackets are indexed with the chained CPI-U.
- Adjusting for inflation is not the same as investment growth. To see what money could have grown to, use the compound interest calculator; to plan around future inflation, try the retirement calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much is $1 from 1913 worth today?
Using the 2025 annual average, $1 from 1913 is worth $32.52: the CPI-U rose from 9.9 to 321.943. That is average inflation of 3.16% a year over 112 years.
Why doesn’t my result match the BLS calculator exactly?
The BLS CPI Inflation Calculator compares one month with another month. This calculator compares whole-year averages, which smooths out seasonal swings. Both use the same CPI-U series and the same ratio, so results are close but not identical.
Can I calculate inflation for 2026?
Not yet. An annual average exists only after December prices are published, usually in January of the following year. Until then the latest complete year is 2025.
What is a normal inflation rate?
The Federal Reserve aims for 2 percent a year over the longer run, measured with a different index (PCE prices). Over 1913–2025 the CPI-U averaged 3.16% a year.
Does the calculator handle deflation?
Yes. If prices fell between the two years, the cumulative inflation is negative and the equivalent amount is smaller. For example, $100 in 1929 equals $76.02 in 1933 dollars.
Last updated: October 8, 2026