Inflation Record$100 in 1917 → Today
Official data verified · U.S. CPI-U · Annual average · NSA · Data through September 2026 (fetched 2026-11-02) · Series CUUR0000SA0
$2,590.59
+2490.6% cumulative inflation · 1917–2026
Your $100 in 1917 would have the purchasing power of $2,590.59 today.
What this means
- Purchasing power: $100 in 1917 had the same average buying power as $2,590.59 in 2026.
- Price level change: the overall consumer price level rose by 2490.6% across this 109-year span; the purchasing power of a dollar fell by 96.1%.
- This measures the broad basket of consumer goods and services (CPI-U). Individual expenses — housing, medical care, tuition — moved at different rates.
What this means in other amounts
| In 1917 | Worth in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $25.91 |
| $5 | $129.53 |
| $10 | $259.06 |
| $20 | $518.12 |
| $50 | $1,295.29 |
| $100 | $2,590.59 |
| $500 | $12,952.93 |
| $1,000 | $25,905.85 |
| $10,000 | $259,058.52 |
| $100,000 | $2,590,585.23 |
Key facts about 1917
- Consumer prices rose 17.8% in 1917 — the 1st-largest annual increase in the 1913–2026 record.
- Among the major categories tracked since 1917, Food rose the most: 2045.1% cumulatively to 2025.
- In the decade after 1917, prices rose 35.3% in total.
$100 in 1917, decade by decade
| Year | Worth | Cumulative price change |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | $135.35 | +35.3% |
| 1937 | $112.15 | +12.2% |
| 1947 | $174.07 | +74.1% |
| 1957 | $219.04 | +119.0% |
| 1967 | $260.10 | +160.1% |
| 1977 | $472.58 | +372.6% |
| 1987 | $885.96 | +786.0% |
| 1997 | $1,251.59 | +1151.6% |
| 2007 | $1,616.71 | +1516.7% |
| 2017 | $1,911.26 | +1811.3% |
| 2026 | $2,590.59 | +2490.6% |
Monthly CPI in 1917
| Month | CPI-U index | Change vs same month, prior year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 11.700 | 12.5% |
| February | 12.000 | 15.4% |
| March | 12.000 | 14.3% |
| April | 12.600 | 18.9% |
| May | 12.800 | 19.6% |
| June | 13.000 | 20.4% |
| July | 12.800 | 18.5% |
| August | 13.000 | 19.3% |
| September | 13.300 | 19.8% |
| October | 13.500 | 19.5% |
| November | 13.500 | 17.4% |
| December | 13.700 | 18.1% |
Annual average CPI-U for 1917: 12.825.
Verify this calculation
Series: CUUR0000SA0 (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, All Items, U.S. City Average; Not seasonally adjusted (NSA); base 1982-84=100).
Index (1917 annual average): 12.825 · Index (2026 annual average): 332.243 · Ratio: 25.9059
Formula: amount × (indexend / indexstart). Formula v1.0 — annual-average CPI, NSA (per-country basis on each methodology page). Source: BLS data finder.
Cite this page
← $100 in 1916 · All years · $100 in 1918 →
The same year elsewhere: Canada