US Inflation Calculator

See what a dollar amount from any year since 1913 is worth in today's money, using official US consumer price index data.

By Joey van Diest, founder and editor Updated August 11, 2026

How much have US prices risen with inflation?

US consumer prices rose about 2.6% in 2025 on the CPI-U annual average, and the index reached 334.0 in June 2026. Over the long run the erosion compounds: a dollar from 1913 has the buying power of about 3.0 cents today. Figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, refreshed 2026-08-11.

Amount

In the year

Total inflation: -
Average per year: -
Buying power: -

Value over time

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100). Annual figures are the BLS published annual averages; "June 2026 (latest)" uses the most recent monthly index (333.952). Data last updated 2026-08-11. This calculator covers US consumer prices only and is for general information, not financial advice.

How to read the result

Inflation refers to the fact that over time, every dollar has a lower purchasing power. This calculator provides an answer to inflation in two ways. First, the headline number represents how much an older value would cost now. Second, using buying power allows users to determine how much money spent today could have purchased during an earlier time frame.

Total inflation measures the total change from start to finish. Average per year calculates the compound annual growth rate. Average per year is generally considered to be a more relevant measurement since a significant total change across a decade or longer can represent a very small percentage increase per year. A user may want to look at what $100 in 1913 is worth today for a longer-term perspective.

The CPI-U (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers) is used as the basis for calculating the U.S. inflation statistics. It reflects the prices paid by urban consumers for a basket of products and services they purchase. Therefore, CPI-U is viewed as an indicator of the state of the national economy and does not reflect individual consumer experiences with inflation. Individual inflation rates will vary based upon the actual items being purchased by individuals, including housing (rent), healthcare, education (tuition). These expenses have historically experienced higher increases than the general CPI-U.

To get a recent snapshot of inflation, see the current US inflation rate. To access historical data and trends behind this calculator, go to historical US inflation rates.

The formula

To convert an amount from one time to another will be one ratio of price indexes:

value in later year = amount × (CPI_later ÷ CPI_earlier)

The total inflation ((CPI_later ÷ CPI_earlier − 1) × 100) and the yearly average (the compounding rate ((CPI_later ÷ CPI_earlier)^1/years − 1) × 100), not the total divided by the number of years.

A worked example

Take $1,000 / 1995. The average CPI-U for the year was 152.4 in 1995 and 321.943 in 2025. Therefore:

$1,000 × (321.943 ÷ 152.4) = $2,112.49

So that is approximately the total inflation of 111.2% over the time period. If read backwards then $1,000 / 2025 will buy you roughly what $473.38 would have bought at the time 1995.

Frequently asked questions

How does this inflation calculator work?: The tool calculates the equivalent value of an amount in two time periods using the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The entered number will be adjusted based upon the CPI-U for the two years that you have chosen, as this is how inflation is commonly measured when adjusting previous numbers to reflect present-day dollars.
Where does the data come from?: All numbers are provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Series used include CUUR0000SA0 (CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100)), but each series uses annual averages, and therefore does not reflect estimated annual inflation. Data were updated on 2026-08-11.
How far back does it go?: For 1913 through 2025, the same first year available for the CPI-U series, along with the current most recently reported month average price.
Does it apply outside the United States?: No. This tool only provides information regarding the cost of goods and services within the United States. Prices and inflation rates may vary significantly depending on country-specific factors. Therefore, please refer to your local consumer price index if comparing dollar amounts from different countries.

Method and limitations

Figures are based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the U.S., using data for a typical urban area, all items, not seasonally adjusted, with an average of 1982-84 = 100. This data was used in the form of annual averages provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These were taken directly from BLS time-series data; they were not calculated here.

When choosing between comparing two annual averages or a point-in-time comparison via "latest", there is more stability to comparing two year-long averages, especially when looking at a period that extends several years.

There are some limitations you may want to know about. CPI-U is designed to measure price changes for consumers living in urban areas across the entire country. Therefore, CPI-U does NOT represent your own inflation rate. Also, housing, health care and education costs have increased at higher rates than the headline CPI number. Finally, rural residents are excluded from CPI-U. Additionally, CPI-U has been re-based periodically and its basket of goods has changed over time. Therefore, while comparing inflation data going back many decades (i.e., the 1910's) would provide directional insight into how prices have moved, these comparisons should never be considered exact. CPI-U represents the U.S. only.

Data sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (series CUUR0000SA0) · annual averages 1913-2025, refreshed 2026-08-11

This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to us or stored.

For general information and education only. This is not financial advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell anything. This tool is provided as is, with no warranty of accuracy: like any software it can contain errors, so always verify figures against your broker or the original source before acting on them. Trading and investing carry risk, including the risk of losing more than your initial outlay.

Spotted an error? Email contact@economicium.com and it will be corrected. Maintained by Joey van Diest.