Historic Inflation (US Dollars)

Historic Inflation
(US Dollars 1774-2021)

(Updated 28 March 2013)

The table on this page uses the data from this Excel sheet HERE, specifically, the column marked CPI [1982-84] CF [BLS].

The raw data these tables come from are from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI-U Tables. You can find them easily online. Here’s one such LINK.

Numbers from 1774 to 2012 are historical. Numbers from 2013-2021 are hypothetical projections. They are outlined in bold red for convenience.

CPU-U Numbers (Indexed with 1982-84 being 1)
Year	Average	Year	Average	Year	Average	Year	Average	Year	Average
1774	0.081	1824	0.097	1874	0.114	1924	0.171	1974	0.493
1775	0.077	1825	0.099	1875	0.110	1925	0.175	1975	0.538
1776	0.087	1826	0.099	1876	0.107	1926	0.177	1976	0.569
1777	0.106	1827	0.100	1877	0.105	1927	0.174	1977	0.606
1778	0.138	1828	0.095	1878	0.100	1928	0.171	1978	0.652
1779	0.122	1829	0.093	1879	0.100	1929	0.171	1979	0.726
1780	0.137	1830	0.092	1880	0.102	1930	0.167	1980	0.824
1781	0.111	1831	0.087	1881	0.102	1931	0.152	1981	0.909
1782	0.121	1832	0.086	1882	0.102	1932	0.137	1982	0.965
1783	0.106	1833	0.084	1883	0.101	1933	0.130	1983	0.996
1784	0.102	1834	0.086	1884	0.098	1934	0.134	1984	1.039
1785	0.097	1835	0.088	1885	0.097	1935	0.137	1985	1.076
1786	0.095	1836	0.093	1886	0.094	1936	0.139	1986	1.096
1787	0.093	1837	0.096	1887	0.095	1937	0.144	1987	1.136
1788	0.089	1838	0.093	1888	0.095	1938	0.141	1988	1.183
1789	0.088	1839	0.093	1889	0.092	1939	0.139	1989	1.240
1790	0.092	1840	0.087	1890	0.091	1940	0.140	1990	1.307
1791	0.094	1841	0.087	1891	0.091	1941	0.147	1991	1.362
1792	0.096	1842	0.082	1892	0.091	1942	0.163	1992	1.403
1793	0.099	1843	0.074	1893	0.090	1943	0.173	1993	1.445
1794	0.110	1844	0.075	1894	0.086	1944	0.176	1994	1.482
1795	0.126	1845	0.076	1895	0.084	1945	0.180	1995	1.524
1796	0.132	1846	0.077	1896	0.084	1946	0.195	1996	1.569
1797	0.127	1847	0.082	1897	0.083	1947	0.223	1997	1.605
1798	0.123	1848	0.079	1898	0.083	1948	0.241	1998	1.630
1799	0.123	1849	0.077	1899	0.083	1949	0.238	1999	1.666
1800	0.126	1850	0.078	1900	0.084	1950	0.241	2000	1.722
1801	0.127	1851	0.077	1901	0.085	1951	0.260	2001	1.771
1802	0.107	1852	0.077	1902	0.086	1952	0.265	2002	1.799
1803	0.113	1853	0.077	1903	0.088	1953	0.267	2003	1.840
1804	0.118	1854	0.084	1904	0.089	1954	0.269	2004	1.889
1805	0.117	1855	0.087	1905	0.088	1955	0.268	2005	1.953
1806	0.122	1856	0.085	1906	0.090	1956	0.272	2006	2.016
1807	0.116	1857	0.087	1907	0.094	1957	0.281	2007	2.07342
1808	0.126	1858	0.082	1908	0.092	1958	0.289	2008	2.15303
1809	0.123	1859	0.083	1909	0.091	1959	0.291	2009	2.14537
1810	0.123	1860	0.083	1910	0.095	1960	0.296	2010	2.18056
1811	0.131	1861	0.088	1911	0.095	1961	0.299	2011	2.24939
1812	0.133	1862	0.101	1912	0.097	1962	0.302	2012	2.29594
1813	0.160	1863	0.126	1913	0.099	1963	0.306	2013	2.285
1814	0.176	1864	0.157	1914	0.100	1964	0.310	2014	2.328
1815	0.154	1865	0.163	1915	0.101	1965	0.315	2015	2.376
1816	0.141	1866	0.159	1916	0.109	1966	0.324	2016	2.427
1817	0.133	1867	0.148	1917	0.128	1967	0.334	2017	2.482
1818	0.127	1868	0.142	1918	0.151	1968	0.348	2018	2.537
1819	0.127	1869	0.136	1919	0.173	1969	0.367	2019	2.593
1820	0.117	1870	0.131	1920	0.200	1970	0.388	2020	2.650
1821	0.113	1871	0.122	1921	0.179	1971	0.405	2021	2.708
1822	0.117	1872	0.122	1922	0.168	1972	0.418	2022	TBD
1823	0.105	1873	0.120	1923	0.171	1973	0.444	2023	TBD

Converting Past Dollars into Present Dollars

Look up both years you want to do the conversion on in the table above, and then use the following formula:

Amount * (NewestYearCPI / OldestYearCPI) = Converted_Amount

EXAMPLE: The M4 Sherman medium tank cost the U.S. Government $42,400 during Fiscal Year 1943. How much would this be in 2010?

2010 CPI-U: 218.056
1943 CPI-U: 17.300

42,400 * (218.056 / 17.300) = $534,426.265

Gives us a 2010 cost of around $534,426.27 dollars.

Converting Present Dollars into Past Dollars

Look up both years you want to do the conversion on in the table above, and then use the following formula:

Amount * (OldestYearCPI / NewestYearCPI) = Converted_Amount

EXAMPLE: The M1A2 Abrams SEP v2 Main Battle Tank costs the U.S. Government around $4,300,000 per tank in 2007. We want to convert this to 1943 dollars, to see how it stacks up against the M4 Sherman.

2007 CPI-U: 207.342
1943 CPI-U: 17.300

4,300,000 * (17.300 / 207.342) = $358,779.215

Gives us a 1943 cost of $358,779.22 dollars.