US Dollar Inflation Calculator
The interactive calculator loads here. It uses the mid-market rate (30 Sept 2026, European Central Bank reference data) or the live rate when available.
How the dollar inflation calculator works
It uses the same method as the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' own CPI inflation calculator: the value of an amount in a later year is the amount × the Consumer Price Index for that year ÷ the index for the earlier year. The index is the CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items — BLS series CUUR0000SA0 — as yearly averages from 1913 to 2025.
Cumulative inflation is the ratio of the two index values minus one. The average yearly rate is the ratio raised to the power 1 ÷ the number of years, minus one, which is the steady rate that would have produced the same total.
Worked example
The CPI-U averaged 172.2 in 2000 and 321.943 in 2025. So $100 in 2000 is worth $100 × 321.943 ÷ 172.2 = $186.96 in 2025. Prices rose 86.96% in total, an average of 2.53% a year over 25 years, and a 2000 dollar buys what $1.87 buys in 2025. Going further back, $100 in 1970 (CPI 38.825) is worth $829.22 in 2025.
What it can and can't tell you
- It measures the average price change of a basket of consumer goods and services in US cities. Rent, college, healthcare and electronics have each moved very differently from the average.
- It's for US dollars. Other currencies have their own inflation; to compare what money buys between countries today, use the purchasing power parity calculator.
- Annual averages smooth out changes within a year, so figures differ slightly from month-to-month comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
How much is $100 from 2000 worth today?
About $186.96 in 2025 dollars, using BLS CPI-U annual averages (172.2 in 2000, 321.943 in 2025). Prices rose 86.96% over those 25 years.
How is inflation between two years calculated?
Divide the later year's Consumer Price Index by the earlier year's and multiply by the amount. The percentage inflation is that ratio minus one, times 100.
Where does the data come from?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (series CUUR0000SA0), annual averages from 1913 to 2025, as published by BLS and mirrored by the St. Louis Fed's FRED database.
Why doesn't my own cost of living match?
The CPI is an average basket. If a larger share of your spending goes to things whose prices rose faster, such as rent or insurance, your personal inflation rate is higher than the CPI.