Historical Inflation Calculator
Find out what a past dollar amount is worth today — or what today's money was worth decades ago. Compare prices, wages or savings across any two years using an average annual inflation rate, with a CPI table for U.S. dollars since 1913.
Last updated: October 2026
Equivalent Value
$2,393.37
Formula below · 2 sources (bls.gov, minneapolisfed.org) · Updated Oct 2026
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About this calculator
$1,000 in 1990 had the same buying power as about $2,400 in 2024, because U.S. consumer prices rose by an average of about 2.6% a year over those 34 years. This calculator compounds an average annual inflation rate between two years: Adjusted value = amount × (1 + rate ÷ 100)^(end year − start year). It works for any currency and any period, as long as you enter an inflation rate that fits that period.
Choosing the rate
The rate is the key input. For U.S. dollars, the table below gives the average annual CPI inflation from each starting year to 2024, so entering the matching rate reproduces the official CPI result closely. Long-run U.S. inflation since 1913 has averaged about 3.2% a year, but decades differ widely: prices fell in the early 1930s and rose quickly in the 1970s and in 2021 and 2022.
Getting the exact CPI figure
For an exact U.S. result, skip the rate and use the index directly: multiply the amount by the CPI for the end year divided by the CPI for the start year. The BLS and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis publish the annual CPI-U averages back to 1913.
Going backward
To find what a current amount was worth in an earlier year, enter the earlier year as the target year. The exponent becomes negative and the calculator discounts the amount instead of growing it.
Average annual U.S. CPI inflation from each year to 2024
Scroll sideways to see all columns →
| Start year | CPI-U annual average | Average inflation to 2024 | $1 then in 2024 dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 9.9 | 3.16% | $31.69 |
| 1930 | 16.7 | 3.17% | $18.78 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 3.53% | $13.02 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 3.76% | $10.60 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 3.95% | $8.08 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 3.08% | $3.81 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | 2.61% | $2.40 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 2.53% | $1.82 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 2.63% | $1.44 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 4.93% | $1.21 |
How to use
Enter the amount, the starting year, the target year and an average annual inflation rate in percent. The default, $1,000 from 1990 to 2024 at 2.6%, gives about $2,393, within a few dollars of the CPI-based $2,400. Pick the rate for your starting year from the table below for U.S. dollars, or use your country's statistics office data for other currencies.
Frequently asked questions
What average inflation rate should I enter?
Use the average for the period you are converting. For U.S. dollars to 2024, it is about 3.95% from 1970, 3.08% from 1980, 2.61% from 1990, 2.53% from 2000 and 2.63% from 2010, based on BLS CPI-U annual averages. The table on this page lists more starting years.
Why use compound rather than simple inflation?
Each year's price increase applies to prices that have already risen, so inflation compounds. Over 34 years at 2.6%, compounding gives a 2.39 times increase; adding 2.6% a year without compounding would give only 1.88 times.
Where do official inflation figures come from?
In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), with annual averages back to 1913. Other countries publish similar indexes through their national statistics offices.
How much is $1,000 from 1990 worth today?
About $2,400 in 2024 dollars by the official CPI-U (130.7 in 1990, 313.689 in 2024). The calculator's default, $1,000 from 1990 to 2024 at the 2.61% average rate for that span, gives $2,393, within a few dollars of the index figure.
Can I convert today's money back to an earlier year?
Yes. Enter the earlier year as the target year: the exponent becomes negative and the amount is discounted instead of grown. $1,000 of 2024 money entered with target year 1990 at 2.6% returns about $418, what that sum could buy in 1990.
Why does this page differ from an exact CPI calculator?
This page compounds one average rate across the whole span, while the CPI calculators of the BLS and the Minneapolis Fed multiply by the ratio of the two years' index values. The two agree when you enter the average rate for your start year from the table; they differ when you use a round number such as 3%. For an exact U.S. figure use the Historical Currency Value calculator on this site, which carries the CPI-U table itself.
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