Money · Inflation
Inflation Calculator
See what a dollar from any year since 1913 is worth today, using the official Consumer Price Index, or estimate how inflation could shrink your money in the future.
Your result
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How to use this inflation calculator
Choose Past to today, enter an amount and pick two years to see the equivalent value. Pick "today" as the second year to use the most recent monthly index. Choose Future buying power to see how much a sum could buy years from now at an inflation rate you set.
How it's calculated
Future buying power = Amount ÷ (1 + inflation)years Uses the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: yearly averages from 1913, plus the latest month for "today." The October 2025 index was not published, so the 2025 average uses the other 11 months.
Worked example
- $100 × 313.689 ÷ 172.2 = $182.17
- Prices rose about 82% over 24 years, an average of about 2.5% a year
Why it matters
Inflation slowly reduces what each dollar buys. At 3% a year, prices roughly double every 24 years. That's why long-term savings goals, retirement income and salary comparisons can look very different once inflation is counted. Savings that earn less than inflation lose buying power even while the balance grows.
Common questions
What is CPI?
The Consumer Price Index tracks the average change in prices that urban consumers pay for a basket of goods and services such as food, housing, transportation and medical care. It's the most widely used measure of U.S. inflation.
Why doesn't my experience match the CPI?
CPI is an average. If you spend more on rent, childcare or health care than the typical household, the inflation you feel may be higher or lower.
What has the average inflation rate been?
Since 1913, U.S. consumer prices have risen a little over 3% a year on average, with big swings: high inflation in the 1970s and early 1980s and again in 2021–2022, and falling prices in the early 1930s.
Does this work for other countries?
The historical figures are U.S. CPI only. The future buying-power mode works for any currency if you enter your country's expected inflation rate.