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US Inflation Calculator — the Value of the Dollar Over Time

Inflation is the rate at which average prices rise over time, which steadily reduces what each dollar can buy. US consumer prices rose 4.2% in the year to 2026 MAY on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) — published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Convert any amount between 1986 and 2025 into today's money below.

What is the US inflation rate, and how much has the dollar lost in value over time?

US consumer prices rose 4.2% in the year to 2026 MAY on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, all items; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, public domain). Over the long run prices keep rising: $100 in 2000 buys what $186.96 buys in 2025 — a 87.0% increase — on the BLS CPI-U index (1982-84=100).

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)·as of 2026 MAYupdated monthly (last: )

Latest US inflation rate (2026 MAY)

CPI-U — annual rate

4.2%

Consumer Price Index, all items · 12-month change to 2026 MAY

$1 in 1986 → 2025

$2.94

needed in 2025 to match $1 of 1986 buying power

Reference period: 2026 MAY· CPI-U 4.2% · BLS series CUUR0000SA0 · index 1982-84=100 · U.S. Government work (public domain) · Updated monthly

Value of the dollar over time

Enter an amount, a "from" year and a "to" year (1986–2025) to convert it into inflation-adjusted dollars using the real BLS CPI-U index.

US dollars

1986–2025

1986–2025

$100.00 in 2000 is worth

$186.96

in 2025 money

Total price change

+87.0%

over 25 years — prices rose

Average annual inflation

2.5%

compound, per year

Computed from the BLS CPI-U index (1982-84=100).

This converts nominal US dollars between years using the BLS Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, all items). It reflects average US consumer-price inflation and is not financial advice — your personal cost of living depends on what you buy.

US inflation trend (2005–2025)

Annual-average CPI-U index (all items, 1982-84=100), year-on-year change, and the value of $100 from each year in 2025 money — BLS series CUUR0000SA0 (public domain)
YearCPI-U index (1982-84=100)Annual change$100 then → 2025
2005195.33.4%$164.85
2006201.63.2%$159.70
2007207.32.9%$155.27
2008215.33.8%$149.53
2009214.5-0.4%$150.06
2010218.11.6%$147.64
2011224.93.2%$143.12
2012229.62.1%$140.22
2013233.01.5%$138.20
2014236.71.6%$135.99
2015237.00.1%$135.83
2016240.01.3%$134.14
2017245.12.1%$131.34
2018251.12.4%$128.21
2019255.71.8%$125.93
2020258.81.2%$124.39
2021271.04.7%$118.81
2022292.78.0%$110.01
2023304.74.1%$105.66
2024313.72.9%$102.63
2025321.92.6%$100.00

Annual change = index(year) ÷ index(year−1) − 1. Value today = $100 × index(2025) ÷ index(year). The headline 2026 MAY rate (4.2%) is the latest published 12-month change and may differ from the calendar-year annual-average change above.

Value of the dollar from a specific year

Pick a starting year to see exactly how much $100 from that year is worth in 2025 money, with the full price-change and average-inflation breakdown.

US inflation: frequently asked questions

What is the current US inflation rate (2026 MAY)?
In the year to 2026 MAY, US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, all items, not seasonally adjusted) inflation was 4.2%. This is the 12-month change in the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U index. Source: BLS CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items, NSA (CUUR0000SA0), 12-month change.
What is CPI-U and who publishes it?
CPI-U is the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers — the headline US inflation gauge published monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It measures the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services. The index is set so the 1982-84 average equals 100. BLS data is a U.S. Government work in the public domain.
How much is $100 from 2000 worth today?
$100 in 2000 has the same buying power as $186.96 in 2025 — US consumer prices rose 87.0% over that period. This is calculated from the BLS CPI-U annual-average index (all items, 1982-84=100): adjusted value = amount × index(to-year) ÷ index(from-year). Use the calculator above for any amount and year pair from 1986 to 2025.
How does the US inflation calculator work?
It uses the official BLS CPI-U annual-average index (all items, 1982-84=100). To convert $X from one year to another, it multiplies by the ratio of the two years' index values: value = X × index(to) ÷ index(from). For example, the index averaged 172.2 in 2000 and 321.9 in 2025. No figures are estimated — every value comes from the published BLS series.
Why is $1 worth less now than in 1986?
Because of sustained inflation: when average prices rise, each dollar buys fewer goods and services. On the BLS CPI-U index, you would need $2.94 in 2025 to match the buying power of $1 in 1986 — equivalently, $1 in 1986 buys only what about $0.34 would buy in 1986 terms today.
Is this the same inflation everyone experiences?
No. CPI-U measures the average across a representative basket for all urban consumers. Your personal inflation rate depends on what you actually buy — households spending more on energy, rent or food can experience higher or lower rates than the headline. The calculator gives the average measure published by the BLS, not a personalised figure.

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Data source

Contains public sector information published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and licensed under the U.S. Government work — public domain. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (2026 MAY).

BLS series: CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted (CUUR0000SA0), 1982-84=100; annual average (M13). Retrieved 2026-06-27. Calculations performed by Gera from the published BLS CPI-U index — no figures are estimated.

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