💵 U.S. Inflation Calculator with Historical CPI Data
Discover how inflation has shaped the value of the U.S. dollar from 1913 to 2025 using official Consumer Price Index (CPI) data. This Inflation Calculator helps you calculate the purchasing power of money over time, letting you compare the past and present value of your dollars.
📊 What This Inflation Calculator Does
Our advanced calculator uses average CPI data for all urban consumers to provide an accurate reflection of inflation trends in the United States. Simply select your starting and ending years to see how much a dollar then would be worth today.
📈 Why It Matters
- Understand real purchasing power over time.
- Plan smarter for investments, savings, and retirement goals.
- Compare historical costs with today’s prices.
- Explore economic trends and long-term inflation effects.
💡 Pro Tip:
Inflation data is a key metric for investors, economists, and consumers. Use our Inflation Calculator to track changes, plan future spending, and make informed financial decisions based on real U.S. CPI history.
📈 U.S. Inflation Calculator (CPI)
Convert purchasing power between any month/year using official U.S. CPI (CPI-U) data (1913–2025). Choose a source month and target month and the tool will compute the equivalent amount.
💹 Forward Flat Rate Inflation Calculator
Estimate how inflation impacts your purchasing power over future years using a flat annual inflation rate.
💰 Backward Flat Rate Inflation Calculator
Calculates the equivalent purchasing power of a current amount from past years based on a constant average inflation rate.
📊 U.S. Inflation Calculator with CPI Data
The Inflation Calculator uses historical Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate how the value of the U.S. dollar has changed over time — from 1913 to 2025. Simply enter an amount and years to see the difference in purchasing power instantly.
You can also try our Forward Flat Rate Inflation Calculator and Backward Flat Rate Inflation Calculator to estimate inflation-based scenarios using custom rates and years. Historically, U.S. inflation has averaged around 3% annually.
📈 Historical Inflation Rate (1913–2025)
The following chart shows approximate inflation rate trends for the U.S. dollar. Data represents major shifts in consumer price behavior over time.
Understanding inflation patterns helps investors, economists, and everyday savers make informed financial decisions about long-term value and purchasing power.
📊 U.S. CPI Monthly Inflation Rates (1944–2025)
Explore monthly inflation rates of the U.S. dollar from 1944 to 2025. Analyze trends or use our calculators to determine inflation-adjusted values.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.00% | 2.82% | 2.39% | 2.31% | 2.35% | 2.67% | 2.70% | 2.92% | |||||
| 2024 | 3.09% | 3.15% | 3.48% | 3.36% | 3.27% | 2.97% | 2.89% | 2.53% | 2.44% | 2.60% | 2.75% | 2.89% | 2.95% |
| 2023 | 6.41% | 6.04% | 4.98% | 4.93% | 4.05% | 2.97% | 3.18% | 3.67% | 3.70% | 3.24% | 3.14% | 3.35% | 4.12% |
| 1945 | 2.30% | 2.30% | 2.30% | 1.71% | 2.29% | 2.84% | 2.26% | 2.26% | 2.26% | 2.26% | 2.26% | 2.25% | 2.27% |
| 1946 | 2.25% | 1.69% | 2.81% | 3.37% | 3.35% | 3.31% | 9.39% | 11.60% | 12.71% | 14.92% | 17.68% | 18.13% | 8.43% |
| 1947 | 18.13% | 18.78% | 19.67% | 19.02% | 18.38% | 17.65% | 12.12% | 11.39% | 12.75% | 10.58% | 8.45% | 8.84% | 14.65% |
| 1948 | 10.23% | 9.30% | 6.85% | 8.68% | 9.13% | 9.55% | 9.91% | 8.89% | 6.52% | 6.09% | 4.76% | 2.99% | 7.74% |
| 1949 | 1.27% | 1.28% | 1.71% | 0.42% | -0.42% | -0.83% | -2.87% | -2.86% | -2.45% | -2.87% | -1.65% | -2.07% | -0.95% |
| 2022 | 7.48% | 7.87% | 8.54% | 8.26% | 8.58% | 9.06% | 8.52% | 8.26% | 8.20% | 7.75% | 7.11% | 6.45% | 8.00% |
| 2021 | 1.40% | 1.68% | 2.62% | 4.16% | 4.99% | 5.39% | 5.37% | 5.25% | 5.39% | 6.22% | 6.81% | 7.04% | 4.70% |
| 2020 | 2.49% | 2.33% | 1.54% | 0.33% | 0.12% | 0.65% | 0.99% | 1.31% | 1.37% | 1.18% | 1.17% | 1.36% | 1.24% |
| 2019 | 1.55% | 1.52% | 1.86% | 2.00% | 1.79% | 1.65% | 1.81% | 1.75% | 1.71% | 1.76% | 2.05% | 2.29% | 1.81% |
| 2018 | 2.07% | 2.21% | 2.36% | 2.46% | 2.80% | 2.87% | 2.95% | 2.70% | 2.28% | 2.52% | 2.18% | 1.91% | 2.44% |
| 2017 | 2.50% | 2.74% | 2.38% | 2.20% | 1.87% | 1.63% | 1.73% | 1.94% | 2.23% | 2.04% | 2.20% | 2.11% | 2.13% |
| 1944 | 2.96% | 2.96% | 1.16% | 0.57% | 0.00% | 0.57% | 1.72% | 2.31% | 1.72% | 1.72% | 1.72% | 2.30% | 1.64% |
Understanding Inflation: Causes, Types, and How to Protect Yourself
What is Inflation?
Inflation is a general increase in prices of goods and services, reducing the purchasing power of money. Governments often target moderate inflation around 2-3% for economic stability.
Example: CPI Jan 2016 = 236.916, CPI Jan 2017 = 242.839
Inflation Rate = ((242.839 - 236.916) / 236.916) × 100 = 2.5%
Types of Inflation
Hyperinflation
Excessive inflation erodes currency value. Examples include Germany (1920s), Brazil (1980–1994), and Ukraine (early 1990s).
Moderate Inflation
Encourages spending and investment, supporting economic growth.
Deflation
Falling prices discourage spending, creating a negative economic spiral (e.g., the Great Depression).
Causes of Inflation
- Cost-Push Inflation: Rising production costs increase prices.
- Demand-Pull Inflation: Excess demand over supply raises prices.
- Built-in Inflation: Persisting effects from past events, e.g., wage-price spirals.
Monetarist View
Monetarists argue money supply is the main driver of inflation:
M = Money Supply, V = Velocity of Money, P = Price Level, Y = Economic Output
Measuring Inflation
Inflation is usually measured via the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or its variants:
- CPIH: Includes housing costs
- CPIY: Excludes indirect taxes
- CPILFENS: Excludes food and energy for stability
How to Protect Yourself Against Inflation
1. Commodities
Invest in gold, silver, oil, and other resources that retain intrinsic value.
2. TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities)
These bonds adjust with inflation, protecting your investments.
3. Diversified Portfolio
Use a mix of stocks, real estate, commodities, and bonds to hedge against inflation risks.
Key Takeaways
- Moderate inflation (2–3%) is healthy for the economy.
- Hyperinflation and deflation can destabilize economies.
- Monitoring CPI and other indices helps track economic trends.
- Investing wisely can protect wealth against inflation.