American Dollar Inflation Calculator
Use this calculator to understand the purchasing power of U.S. dollars over time, adjusted for inflation. See what an amount from a past year would be worth in a different year, based on historical Consumer Price Index (CPI) data.
Understanding American Dollar Inflation
Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising, and subsequently, the purchasing power of currency is falling. In the United States, inflation is most commonly measured using the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
What is the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
The CPI is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. It is published monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The CPI is a key indicator of inflation and is widely used to adjust wages, Social Security benefits, and other payments to maintain purchasing power.
How Does Inflation Affect Your Money?
If you had $100 in 1990, that same $100 today would buy significantly less goods and services due to inflation. This calculator helps you quantify that change. It answers questions like: "What would $500 from 1975 be worth in today's dollars?" or "How much money would I need in 2023 to have the same purchasing power as $1,000 in 2000?"
How This Calculator Works
This calculator uses a simplified set of historical CPI data to estimate the change in purchasing power. The core formula used is:
Adjusted Amount = Original Amount × (CPI in Target Year / CPI in Original Year)
By comparing the CPI values between two different years, we can determine how much more (or less) money is needed in the target year to have the equivalent purchasing power of the original amount.
Limitations
The CPI data used in this calculator is a simplified representation for demonstration purposes and may not perfectly match official BLS figures for every specific year. For precise financial planning or historical analysis, always refer to official government sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Examples of Inflation's Impact
- Example 1: If you had $1,000 in 1980, what would its purchasing power be in 2023?
Original Amount: $1,000, Start Year: 1980, End Year: 2023.
(Using the calculator's data, this would be approximately $3,697.81)
- Example 2: What amount in 2023 would have the same purchasing power as $500 in 2000?
Original Amount: $500, Start Year: 2000, End Year: 2023.
(Using the calculator's data, this would be approximately $885.60)
- Example 3: A car cost $2,500 in 1965. What would that cost be equivalent to in 2010?
Original Amount: $2,500, Start Year: 1965, End Year: 2010.
(Using the calculator's data, this would be approximately $17,000.00)
.inflation-calculator-container {
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
max-width: 700px;
margin: 20px auto;
padding: 25px;
background: #f9f9f9;
border-radius: 10px;
box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
border: 1px solid #ddd;
}
.inflation-calculator-container h2 {
color: #2c3e50;
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 20px;
font-size: 28px;
}
.inflation-calculator-container h3 {
color: #34495e;
margin-top: 30px;
margin-bottom: 15px;
font-size: 22px;
}
.inflation-calculator-container p {
line-height: 1.6;
color: #555;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.calculator-form .form-group {
margin-bottom: 18px;
}
.calculator-form label {
display: block;
margin-bottom: 8px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #333;
font-size: 16px;
}
.calculator-form input[type="number"] {
width: calc(100% – 22px);
padding: 12px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
border-radius: 6px;
font-size: 16px;
box-sizing: border-box;
transition: border-color 0.3s ease;
}
.calculator-form input[type="number"]:focus {
border-color: #007bff;
outline: none;
box-shadow: 0 0 5px rgba(0, 123, 255, 0.3);
}
.calculator-form button {
display: block;
width: 100%;
padding: 14px 20px;
background-color: #28a745;
color: white;
border: none;
border-radius: 6px;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: bold;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease, transform 0.2s ease;
margin-top: 25px;
}
.calculator-form button:hover {
background-color: #218838;
transform: translateY(-2px);
}
.calculator-form button:active {
transform: translateY(0);
}
.calculator-result {
margin-top: 30px;
padding: 18px;
background-color: #e9f7ef;
border: 1px solid #d4edda;
border-radius: 8px;
font-size: 18px;
color: #155724;
text-align: center;
font-weight: bold;
word-wrap: break-word;
}
.calculator-result.error {
background-color: #f8d7da;
border-color: #f5c6cb;
color: #721c24;
}
.calculator-article {
margin-top: 40px;
padding-top: 20px;
border-top: 1px solid #eee;
}
.calculator-article ul {
list-style-type: disc;
margin-left: 20px;
padding-left: 0;
color: #555;
}
.calculator-article li {
margin-bottom: 10px;
line-height: 1.6;
}
.calculator-article code {
background-color: #eef;
padding: 2px 5px;
border-radius: 4px;
font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color: #c7254e;
}
function calculateInflation() {
var originalAmountInput = document.getElementById("originalAmount");
var startYearInput = document.getElementById("startYear");
var endYearInput = document.getElementById("endYear");
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("inflationResult");
var originalAmount = parseFloat(originalAmountInput.value);
var startYear = parseInt(startYearInput.value);
var endYear = parseInt(endYearInput.value);
// Simplified CPI data (approximate values for demonstration)
// Source: Based on historical CPI data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
// Note: These values are simplified and rounded for calculator functionality.
// For official data, refer to BLS.gov.
var cpiData = {
1913: 9.9, 1914: 10.0, 1915: 10.1, 1916: 10.9, 1917: 12.8, 1918: 15.0, 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: 271.4, 2022: 292.6, 2023: 304.7 // Average for 2023, subject to finalization
};
resultDiv.className = "calculator-result"; // Reset class for potential error messages
if (isNaN(originalAmount) || originalAmount < 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid original dollar amount.";
resultDiv.classList.add("error");
return;
}
if (isNaN(startYear) || startYear 2023) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid start year between 1913 and 2023.";
resultDiv.classList.add("error");
return;
}
if (isNaN(endYear) || endYear 2023) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid target year between 1913 and 2023.";
resultDiv.classList.add("error");
return;
}
if (startYear > endYear) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "The target year must be greater than or equal to the original year.";
resultDiv.classList.add("error");
return;
}
var cpiStart = cpiData[startYear];
var cpiEnd = cpiData[endYear];
if (!cpiStart) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "CPI data not available for the original year " + startYear + ".";
resultDiv.classList.add("error");
return;
}
if (!cpiEnd) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "CPI data not available for the target year " + endYear + ".";
resultDiv.classList.add("error");
return;
}
var adjustedAmount = originalAmount * (cpiEnd / cpiStart);
var percentageChange = ((adjustedAmount – originalAmount) / originalAmount) * 100;
resultDiv.innerHTML = "An amount of
$" + originalAmount.toFixed(2) + " from
" + startYear + " would have the same purchasing power as approximately
$" + adjustedAmount.toFixed(2) + " in
" + endYear + ".";
resultDiv.innerHTML += "This represents a " + (percentageChange >= 0 ? "increase" : "decrease") + " of
" + Math.abs(percentageChange).toFixed(2) + "% in nominal value to maintain purchasing power.";
}