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 editorUpdated
- Total inflation
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- Average per year
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- Buying power
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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 2026-07-20. This calculator covers US consumer prices only and is for general information, not financial advice.
How to read the result
Inflation means each dollar buys a little less over time. The calculator answers that in two directions at once: the headline figure is what an old amount would cost today, whilebuying power flips it around and shows what today's amount would have bought back then.
Total inflation is the whole change across the period. Average per year is the compound annual rate, which is usually the more useful number, because a large total spread over many decades can still be a modest yearly rate.
The underlying measure is the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the most widely cited US inflation gauge. It tracks a basket of goods and services bought by urban households, so it describes the economy as a whole rather than any one household. Your personal inflation rate depends on what you actually buy, and rent, healthcare and tuition have all risen faster than the overall index.
The formula
Converting an amount between two years is a single ratio of price indexes:
value in later year = amount × (CPIlater ÷ CPIearlier)
Total inflation is (CPIlater ÷ CPIearlier − 1) × 100, and the average per year is the compound rate((CPIlater ÷ CPIearlier)1/years − 1) × 100, not the total divided by the number of years.
A worked example
Take $1,000 in 1995. The CPI-U annual average was 152.4 in 1995and 321.943 in 2025. So:
$1,000 × (321.943 ÷ 152.4) = $2,112.49
That is total inflation of about 111.2% over the period. Read the other way, $1,000 in 2025 buys roughly what $473.38 bought in 1995.
Frequently asked questions
- How does this inflation calculator work?
- It compares the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) in two periods. The amount you enter is multiplied by the ratio of the two index values, which is the standard way to express an old amount in today's money.
- Where does the data come from?
- Every figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, series CUUR0000SA0 (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, not estimates. The data was last refreshed on 2026-07-20.
- How far back does it go?
- Back to 1913, the first year of the CPI-U series, through 2025, plus the most recent monthly reading.
- Does it apply outside the United States?
- No. It measures US consumer prices only. Inflation in other countries can differ substantially, so use a local index for non-US amounts.
Method and limitations
Figures use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted, 1982-84=100. Annual numbers are the BLS published annual averages, taken directly from the BLS time series rather than derived here.
The "latest" option uses the most recent monthly index rather than a full-year average, so it is a point-in-time comparison and will move each month. Comparing two annual averages is the more stable choice for long periods.
Limitations worth knowing: CPI-U measures urban consumer prices for the country as a whole, so it is not your personal inflation rate. Housing, healthcare and tuition have risen faster than the headline index, and rural households are not represented. The index is periodically rebased and its basket is revised over time, so very long comparisons (say, back to the 1910s) are directionally sound but should not be treated as precise. It covers the United States only.
Data sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (series CUUR0000SA0) — annual averages 1913-2025, refreshed 2026-07-20
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. Trading and investing carry risk, including the risk of losing more than your initial outlay. Always verify figures against your broker or the original source before acting on them.
Spotted an error? Email[email protected]and it will be corrected. Maintained byJoey van Diest.