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Home/Calculators/Inflation Calculator
Free calculator

Inflation Calculator: what was money worth back then?

Compare a dollar amount between two years from 1913 through 2025, using published annual Consumer Price Index averages. These are historical comparisons, not today's prices or forecasts.

Maintained by TheFinanceSection · Updated 2026-09-07 · Methods and corrections

$100 in 1970 equals

$830

in 2025 dollars

Total price change

+729.8%

1970 → 2025

Avg. inflation / year

3.92%

over 55 years

Published annual averages through 2025; not current prices or a forecast. BLS calculated the 2025 annual average from 11 published months; October data were unavailable after the federal government shutdown.

Something that cost $100 in 1970 would cost about $830 in 2025. Put differently: a 1970 dollar bought what $8.30 buys in 2025.

What this calculator does

This tool compares buying power using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted. For example, $100 in 1970 corresponds to about $830 in 2025 dollars. Swap the years to convert in reverse.

How the math works

Value in year B = amount × (annual CPI in year B ÷ annual CPI in year A). The total price change uses that same ratio. The average annual inflation rate is the compound annual change from the earlier year to the later year, even when you convert backwards. A same-year comparison has no annual rate to calculate.

CPI measures average price changes for a basket of consumer goods and services. Your own costs may change differently. Annual averages also differ from individual months and December-to-December inflation rates.

Source and coverage

Data cover 1913–2025. Source: BLS annual CPI-U averages and the BLS historical CPI-U table, series CUUR0000SA0 (1982–84 = 100). We include published annual figures only and exclude projections.

BLS calculated the 2025 annual average from 11 published months; October data were unavailable after the federal government shutdown. See the BLS explanation of the missing October data.

What it means for savings

When prices rise faster than your savings grow after taxes and fees, your buying power falls. Use the savings interest calculator to explore an assumed yield. Historical inflation does not predict future inflation.

Frequently asked questions

What data does this inflation calculator use?

Published BLS annual average CPI-U figures for the U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted, from 1913 through 2025. It does not use current-year estimates. BLS calculated the 2025 annual average from 11 published months; October data were unavailable after the federal government shutdown.

What was $100 in 1970 worth in 2025?

About $830 in 2025 dollars, based on the ratio of the two published annual CPI averages. Use the calculator for any amount and supported pair of years.

Can I convert a later year's dollars into an earlier year's dollars?

Yes. Set the later year as the starting year or use the swap button. The dollar result converts backwards, while the average annual inflation rate still describes price changes from the earlier year to the later year.

Why doesn't the calculator include the current year?

It compares published annual averages on the same basis. The latest included year is 2025; a partial-year reading or forecast is not substituted for a published annual figure.

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