See what an amount of money from one year is worth in another year’s dollars, using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For example, $100 in 2000 had the same buying power as $194.53 in August 2026: prices rose 94.5% over that time, an average of 2.59% a year.
Inflation Calculator
Buying power between two years, BLS CPI-U data · Updated October 13, 2026
- Price change between the two years
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- Average inflation per year
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- Multiplier
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- CPI-U in the from year
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- CPI-U in the to year
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Years up to 2025 use the BLS annual average CPI-U. 2026 uses the August 2026 index (334.980), the latest published; the September index is due on October 14, 2026.
How the inflation calculator works
The calculator scales your amount by the change in the price index between the two years:
- Value in the other year = amount × (CPI-U in that year ÷ CPI-U in the starting year)
- Price change = later index ÷ earlier index − 1
- Average inflation per year = (later index ÷ earlier index)1 ÷ years − 1
It uses the CPI-U for the U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted (1982–84 = 100), which is the headline index BLS publishes every month. For each year from 1913 to 2025 the calculator uses the annual average, which smooths out month-to-month swings. For 2026 it uses the August 2026 index of 334.980, released on September 11, 2026 and the latest available on the date above. BLS plans to publish the September index on October 14, 2026, and the full 2026 annual average arrives with the December figures on January 13, 2027.
CPI-U annual averages and what $100 is worth today
| Year | CPI-U annual average | Inflation that year | $100 then in August 2026 dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 9.9 | – | $3,383.64 |
| 1920 | 20.0 | 15.6% | $1,674.90 |
| 1930 | 16.7 | -2.3% | $2,005.87 |
| 1940 | 14.0 | 0.7% | $2,392.71 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $1,389.96 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $1,131.69 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $863.35 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $406.53 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | 5.4% | $256.30 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $194.53 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $153.62 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $141.33 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $139.57 |
| 2017 | 245.120 | 2.1% | $136.66 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $133.40 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $131.03 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $129.43 |
| 2021 | 270.970 | 4.7% | $123.62 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $114.46 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $109.94 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $106.79 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $104.05 |
Over the long run prices have risen about 3.16% a year: the annual average went from 9.9 in 1913 to 321.943 in 2025. The fastest rise of the last half-century was 1980, when the annual average jumped 13.5%. After a decade of mostly low inflation, prices rose 4.7% in 2021 and 8.0% in 2022 before slowing to 2.6% in 2025. In the 12 months to August 2026, the CPI-U rose 3.4%.
Worked examples
- $1,000 in 1990 → 2025: 1,000 × 321.943 ÷ 130.7 = $2,463.22. Prices rose 146.3%, or 2.61% a year.
- $50 in 1970 → August 2026: 50 × 334.980 ÷ 38.8 = $431.68, more than eight times as much.
- A $20,000 budget in 2020: keeping the same buying power in August 2026 takes $25,886.07, 29.4% more, which works out to 4.39% a year.
- Going back in time: $100 in August 2026 bought what $51.41 bought in 2000. Choose the later year as the from year to convert this way.
- Deflation: $100 in 1929 had the buying power of $76.02 in 1933, because prices fell 24.0% in the early years of the Great Depression.
What the result does and doesn't tell you
- The CPI-U tracks a national basket of goods and services bought by urban households. Your own costs may have risen faster or slower, depending on where you live and what you buy, especially rent, health care and childcare.
- The BLS CPI Inflation Calculator works with single months, so if you compare January 2000 with August 2026 there you will get a slightly different answer than with the 2000 annual average here.
- It measures prices, not wages or investment returns. To see whether your savings kept up, compare their growth with the average inflation rate shown.
- Other indexes exist for specific uses. Social Security cost-of-living adjustments are based on the CPI-W, and federal tax brackets are indexed with the chained CPI-U, so their changes won't match this calculator exactly.
FAQ
What is the inflation rate right now?
BLS reported that the CPI-U rose 3.4% in the 12 months to August 2026, before seasonal adjustment. Prices excluding food and energy rose 2.4%. The next update, for September, is scheduled for October 14, 2026.
How do I adjust a salary for inflation?
Enter the old salary as the amount, the year you earned it as the from year and 2026 as the to year. The result is what you would need today to buy the same things. A $50,000 salary in 2019, for example, needs to be about $65,500 in August 2026 to keep its buying power.
Why does 2026 use a single month?
An annual average needs all 12 months, and the year isn't over. Using the latest month keeps the result as current as possible. Once BLS publishes the 2026 annual average in January 2027, it will replace the August figure here.
How far back does the data go?
The CPI-U series used here starts in 1913, the earliest year in the BLS national index, so you can compare any year from 1913 to 2026.
Related calculators
- Compound Interest CalculatorSee whether your savings grow faster than prices
- CD CalculatorCompare a CD's yield with inflation
- Salary to Hourly CalculatorTurn an inflation-adjusted salary into an hourly rate
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: CPI databases (series CUUR0000SA0) · annual averages 1913–2025, August 2026 index
- BLS: Consumer Price Index – August 2026 news release · September 11, 2026
- BLS: Schedule of releases for the Consumer Price Index
- BLS: CPI Inflation Calculator
- BLS: CPI frequently asked questions
Figures current as of October 13, 2026
Each formula is checked against a separate test sheet with at least three worked examples. Results are estimates based on the numbers you enter and the published rules; your actual figures may differ. This is general information, not financial or tax advice.
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