Inflation calculator

In past value mode, the calculator uses the annual average Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To convert an amount from one year to another, it multiplies by the ratio of the two years' index values:

Value in year B = amount × CPI(B) / CPI(A)

It also shows the total change in the price level, the average annual inflation rate between the two years and each year's inflation rate. Data covers 1960 through 2024.

In future estimate mode, you choose an inflation rate and a number of years to project how much the same purchases will cost later and how much buying power today's money will have. The calculation runs in your browser.

Amount	From	To	Equivalent
$100	1970	2024	about $808
$100	1990	2024	about $240
$100	2000	2024	about $182

From 2000 to 2024, prices rose about 82%, an average of roughly 2.5% a year. Individual years varied widely: CPI-U inflation was about 13.5% in 1980, 4.7% in 2021, 8.0% in 2022, 4.1% in 2023 and 2.9% in 2024.

Future estimate: at 3% a year, something that costs $100 today will cost about $134.39 in 10 years, and $100 then will buy what $74.41 buys today.

The CPI-U tracks the average change in prices paid by urban consumers for a broad basket of goods and services, including housing, food, transportation, medical care and energy. It is the most widely quoted U.S. inflation measure and is used, among other things, to adjust tax brackets.

Keep in mind:

• It is an average. Your personal inflation depends on what you buy; college tuition, rent or car insurance may have risen much faster or slower.
• Annual averages smooth out month-to-month swings. A price from a specific month may differ slightly from the annual figure.
• Quality changes are hard to measure, so long-term comparisons are approximate.

• Salary comparisons: a raise below inflation is a pay cut in real terms.
• Retirement planning: a fixed income loses buying power each year; even 2.5% inflation cuts it by about a fifth over 9 years.
• Historical prices: compare what a house, car or wage was worth in today's dollars.
• Investment returns: subtract inflation from your return to get the real return.

The investment calculator can show future savings in today's dollars, and the compound interest calculator shows how savings grow against inflation.

Inflation compounds just like interest. Divide 72 by the inflation rate to estimate how long it takes prices to double: about 24 years at 3% and 36 years at 2%. Over a 30-year retirement, even moderate inflation can roughly double living costs, which is why retirees often look for income that rises over time, such as Social Security's annual cost-of-living adjustment.

Inflation also erodes cash. Money in an account paying less than the inflation rate loses buying power every year, even though the balance never goes down. Comparing your savings rate with recent CPI inflation is a quick check.