Inflation Calculator
See how inflation changes the value of money between two years, using US BLS CPI-U annual averages.
Based on US BLS CPI-U annual averages, covering 1913 to 2024. Figures are estimates of average prices, not any one item.
Enter an amount and pick two years to adjust for inflation.
How to use the inflation calculator
Enter a dollar amount, then pick a starting year and an ending year. The calculator shows what that money is worth in the later year, so you can see how much buying power it gained or lost over the period.
Below the adjusted amount, you also get the total inflation across the span and the average annual rate. Both years are limited to the range of available data, so a calculation always rests on real index figures.
What is the CPI?
The Consumer Price Index, or CPI, tracks the average change in prices that households pay for a broad basket of goods and services. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes it monthly and as an annual average.
This tool uses the annual-average CPI-U series, which covers urban consumers. Dividing the index for one year by the index for another gives the ratio of prices between them, which is how the adjustment is made.
How inflation erodes buying power
When prices rise, each dollar buys less than it used to. A sum that covered a weekly grocery run decades ago would fall short of the same basket today, even though the number of dollars has not changed.
That is why $100 from the year 2000 has the buying power of roughly $182 in 2024: prices across the economy rose by about 82% over that span. The adjusted figure tells you how many of today's dollars match the older amount.
Data source and coverage
The figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, series CPI-U for all urban consumers, US city average, all items, using the annual average for each year. The index is set so that 1982 to 1984 equals 100.
The data here runs from 1913 through 2024. The 2024 figure is the most recent annual average; later years are added once the official annual average is confirmed. Treat the results as estimates of broad price changes, not the change for any single product.
Frequently asked questions
- How does the inflation calculator work?
- It divides the CPI for the ending year by the CPI for the starting year, then multiplies your amount by that ratio. The result is how much money with the same buying power you would need in the later year.
- What does CPI-U mean?
- CPI-U is the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It measures the average change in prices urban households pay for a broad basket of goods and services.
- What years does the data cover?
- The calculator uses US BLS CPI-U annual averages from 1913 through 2024. The 2024 figure is the latest annual average available; more recent years are added once their official annual averages are confirmed.
- Why is the result only an estimate?
- The CPI tracks average prices across a wide basket, so it reflects broad inflation rather than the change for any one item. Your personal costs may rise faster or slower depending on what you actually buy.
- What is the difference between total and annual inflation?
- Total inflation is the full price change across the whole period. The annual average is the steady yearly rate that compounds to that total, which makes it easier to compare spans of different lengths.