Inflation Calculator Dollars

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Historical Inflation Calculator

Calculate the purchasing power of the US dollar across different years using Consumer Price Index (CPI) data.

Understanding the Inflation Calculator

This calculator determines the relative value of money over time by utilizing the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI is a measure provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that tracks the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.

How the Calculation Works

The formula for calculating inflation-adjusted dollars is as follows:

Adjusted Value = Initial Amount × (Target Year CPI / Starting Year CPI)

Practical Example

If you wanted to see what $100 in 1970 is worth in 2024:

  • 1970 CPI: 38.8
  • 2024 CPI (Est): 314.1
  • Calculation: $100 × (314.1 / 38.8) = $809.54

This means you would need $809.54 today to have the same purchasing power that $100 gave you in 1970. This reflects a cumulative inflation rate of over 700%.

Why Use This Data?

Knowing the "real" value of money is essential for long-term financial planning, analyzing historical salaries, or understanding how the cost of living has evolved. It helps distinguish between nominal value (the face value of the cash) and real value (what that cash can actually buy).

function calculateInflation() { // CPI Data (Annual Averages) 1913-2024 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 }; var amount = parseFloat(document.getElementById('amountInput').value); var start = parseInt(document.getElementById('startYear').value); var target = parseInt(document.getElementById('targetYear').value); var resultBox = document.getElementById('resultDisplay'); var resultText = document.getElementById('resultText'); var rateText = document.getElementById('cumulativeRate'); if (isNaN(amount) || !cpiData[start] || !cpiData[target]) { alert("Please enter a valid amount and years between 1913 and 2024."); return; } var startCPI = cpiData[start]; var targetCPI = cpiData[target]; var finalValue = (amount * targetCPI) / startCPI; var cumulativeRate = ((targetCPI – startCPI) / startCPI) * 100; resultBox.style.display = "block"; resultText.innerHTML = "$" + amount.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}) + " in " + start + " is worth $" + finalValue.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}) + " in " + target; var inflationLabel = cumulativeRate >= 0 ? "Cumulative Inflation: " : "Cumulative Deflation: "; rateText.innerText = inflationLabel + cumulativeRate.toFixed(2) + "%"; }

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