Inflation Calculator Usd

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USD Inflation Calculator

Calculate the purchasing power of the US Dollar over time

Inflation Result

How Does USD Inflation Affect Your Money?

Inflation represents the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising, and subsequently, how the purchasing power of the US Dollar is falling. This calculator uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to track historical changes.

The Math Behind the Calculation

The calculation uses the formula: Adjusted Value = Amount × (Target Year CPI / Starting Year CPI). By comparing the price of a standard "basket of goods" in two different years, we can determine exactly how much more (or less) money is required to maintain the same standard of living.

Example: The Value of $100

If you had $100 in 1980, it would be equivalent to over $380 in 2024. This is because the cumulative inflation rate over that period was roughly 280%. This means you would need $380 today to buy what $100 could buy in 1980.

  • 1913-1945: Periods of volatility including the Great Depression and WWII.
  • 1970s: Known for "Stagflation" where prices rose rapidly.
  • Modern Era: Generally targets a 2% annual inflation rate by the Federal Reserve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CPI? The Consumer Price Index measures the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.

Why does inflation happen? It is generally caused by an increase in the money supply, increased demand for products, or rising production costs (like labor and raw materials).

// Historical CPI Data (Annual Average CPI-U) var cpiData = { 1913: 9.9, 1914: 10.0, 1915: 10.1, 1916: 10.9, 1917: 12.8, 1918: 15.1, 1919: 17.3, 1920: 20.0, 1921: 17.9, 1922: 16.8, 1923: 17.1, 1924: 17.1, 1925: 17.5, 1926: 17.7, 1927: 17.4, 1928: 17.1, 1929: 17.1, 1930: 16.7, 1931: 15.2, 1932: 13.7, 1933: 13.0, 1934: 13.4, 1935: 13.7, 1936: 13.9, 1937: 14.4, 1938: 14.1, 1939: 13.9, 1940: 14.0, 1941: 14.7, 1942: 16.3, 1943: 17.3, 1944: 17.6, 1945: 18.0, 1946: 19.5, 1947: 22.3, 1948: 24.1, 1949: 23.8, 1950: 24.1, 1951: 26.0, 1952: 26.5, 1953: 26.7, 1954: 26.9, 1955: 26.8, 1956: 27.2, 1957: 28.1, 1958: 28.9, 1959: 29.1, 1960: 29.6, 1961: 29.9, 1962: 30.2, 1963: 30.6, 1964: 31.0, 1965: 31.5, 1966: 32.4, 1967: 33.4, 1968: 34.8, 1969: 36.7, 1970: 38.8, 1971: 40.5, 1972: 41.8, 1973: 44.4, 1974: 49.3, 1975: 53.8, 1976: 56.9, 1977: 60.6, 1978: 65.2, 1979: 72.6, 1980: 82.4, 1981: 90.9, 1982: 96.5, 1983: 99.6, 1984: 103.9, 1985: 107.6, 1986: 109.6, 1987: 113.6, 1988: 118.3, 1989: 124.0, 1990: 130.7, 1991: 136.2, 1992: 140.3, 1993: 144.5, 1994: 148.2, 1995: 152.4, 1996: 156.9, 1997: 160.5, 1998: 163.0, 1999: 166.6, 2000: 172.2, 2001: 177.1, 2002: 179.9, 2003: 184.0, 2004: 188.9, 2005: 195.3, 2006: 201.6, 2007: 207.3, 2008: 215.3, 2009: 214.5, 2010: 218.1, 2011: 224.9, 2012: 229.6, 2013: 233.0, 2014: 236.7, 2015: 237.0, 2016: 240.0, 2017: 245.1, 2018: 251.1, 2019: 255.7, 2020: 258.8, 2021: 271.0, 2022: 292.7, 2023: 304.7, 2024: 314.1 }; function init() { var startSelect = document.getElementById('startYear'); var endSelect = document.getElementById('endYear'); var years = Object.keys(cpiData).sort(function(a, b){return b-a}); for (var i = 0; i < years.length; i++) { var opt1 = document.createElement('option'); opt1.value = years[i]; opt1.innerHTML = years[i]; startSelect.appendChild(opt1); var opt2 = document.createElement('option'); opt2.value = years[i]; opt2.innerHTML = years[i]; endSelect.appendChild(opt2); } // Defaults startSelect.value = "1980"; endSelect.value = "2024"; } function calculateInflation() { var amount = parseFloat(document.getElementById('usdAmount').value); var startYear = document.getElementById('startYear').value; var endYear = document.getElementById('endYear').value; if (isNaN(amount) || amount <= 0) { alert("Please enter a valid USD amount."); return; } var cpiStart = cpiData[startYear]; var cpiEnd = cpiData[endYear]; var adjustedValue = amount * (cpiEnd / cpiStart); var totalInflation = ((cpiEnd – cpiStart) / cpiStart) * 100; var resultArea = document.getElementById('resultArea'); var mainResult = document.getElementById('mainResult'); var percentageDetail = document.getElementById('percentageDetail'); var comparisonDetail = document.getElementById('comparisonDetail'); resultArea.style.display = "block"; mainResult.innerHTML = "$" + amount.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}) + " in " + startYear + " is equivalent to $" + adjustedValue.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}) + " in " + endYear; percentageDetail.innerHTML = "Total inflation rate: " + totalInflation.toFixed(2) + "%"; var buyingPower = (1 / (adjustedValue / amount)) * 100; comparisonDetail.innerHTML = "The purchasing power of $1.00 in " + startYear + " would be roughly $" + (cpiEnd / cpiStart).toFixed(2) + " in " + endYear + " terms. " + "Conversely, $1.00 in " + endYear + " only buys what $" + (cpiStart / cpiEnd).toFixed(2) + " could buy in " + startYear + "."; } window.onload = init;

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