Inflation over time: the dollar since 1950
Inflation over time: how much $100 of 1950 shopping costs today, and what $100 from 1950 still buys.
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What the data shows
- What $100 from 1950 buys: $100.00 in 1950, $7.47 in 2025 (93% lower).
- Price of $100 of 1950 goods: $100.00 in 1950, $1,338.02 in 2025 (13× higher).
About this chart
Two lines tell the same story from opposite sides. One shows what $100 of 1950 goods costs in each later year; the other shows how much of that 1950 basket $100 buys. Inflation was fastest in the 1970s and again in 2021–2022.
Based on the US consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U).
The data
Source: FRED (CPIAUCSL, Bureau of Labor Statistics), US consumer price index, yearly average. Retrieved November 3, 2026.
| Date | What $100 from 1950 buys | Price of $100 of 1950 goods |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| 1951 | $92.64 | $107.94 |
| 1952 | $90.57 | $110.41 |
| 1953 | $89.89 | $111.25 |
| 1954 | $89.57 | $111.65 |
| 1955 | $89.80 | $111.36 |
| 1956 | $88.49 | $113.00 |
| 1957 | $85.59 | $116.83 |
| 1958 | $83.32 | $120.02 |
| 1959 | $82.55 | $121.14 |
| 1960 | $81.33 | $122.95 |
| 1961 | $80.47 | $124.27 |
| 1962 | $79.54 | $125.73 |
| 1963 | $78.55 | $127.31 |
| 1964 | $77.53 | $128.99 |
| 1965 | $76.32 | $131.03 |
| 1966 | $74.10 | $134.94 |
| 1967 | $72.10 | $138.70 |
| 1968 | $69.16 | $144.59 |
| 1969 | $65.60 | $152.45 |
| 1970 | $61.95 | $161.42 |
| 1971 | $59.44 | $168.24 |
| 1972 | $57.55 | $173.75 |
| 1973 | $54.16 | $184.62 |
| 1974 | $48.79 | $204.95 |
| 1975 | $44.71 | $223.69 |
| 1976 | $42.26 | $236.61 |
| 1977 | $39.70 | $251.91 |
| 1978 | $36.88 | $271.13 |
| 1979 | $33.15 | $301.65 |
| 1980 | $29.21 | $342.37 |
| 1981 | $26.46 | $377.90 |
| 1982 | $24.93 | $401.18 |
| 1983 | $24.16 | $413.85 |
| 1984 | $23.15 | $431.93 |
| 1985 | $22.36 | $447.17 |
| 1986 | $21.94 | $455.86 |
| 1987 | $21.18 | $472.17 |
| 1988 | $20.34 | $491.53 |
| 1989 | $19.41 | $515.08 |
| 1990 | $18.42 | $543.00 |
| 1991 | $17.67 | $565.89 |
| 1992 | $17.15 | $583.10 |
| 1993 | $16.66 | $600.42 |
| 1994 | $16.23 | $616.00 |
| 1995 | $15.79 | $633.28 |
| 1996 | $15.34 | $651.88 |
| 1997 | $14.99 | $667.12 |
| 1998 | $14.76 | $677.44 |
| 1999 | $14.44 | $692.29 |
| 2000 | $13.97 | $715.60 |
| 2001 | $13.59 | $735.76 |
| 2002 | $13.38 | $747.50 |
| 2003 | $13.08 | $764.68 |
| 2004 | $12.74 | $785.07 |
| 2005 | $12.32 | $811.50 |
| 2006 | $11.94 | $837.65 |
| 2007 | $11.61 | $861.69 |
| 2008 | $11.18 | $894.56 |
| 2009 | $11.21 | $891.70 |
| 2010 | $11.03 | $906.29 |
| 2011 | $10.70 | $934.74 |
| 2012 | $10.48 | $954.12 |
| 2013 | $10.33 | $968.11 |
| 2014 | $10.17 | $983.75 |
| 2015 | $10.15 | $984.94 |
| 2016 | $10.03 | $997.43 |
| 2017 | $9.82 | $1,018.68 |
| 2018 | $9.58 | $1,043.53 |
| 2019 | $9.41 | $1,062.45 |
| 2020 | $9.30 | $1,075.76 |
| 2021 | $8.88 | $1,126.12 |
| 2022 | $8.22 | $1,216.11 |
| 2023 | $7.90 | $1,266.30 |
| 2024 | $7.67 | $1,303.68 |
| 2025 | $7.47 | $1,338.02 |
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Frequently asked questions
Where does this data come from?
FRED (CPIAUCSL, Bureau of Labor Statistics), US consumer price index, yearly average. Retrieved November 3, 2026. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.
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