Inflation Record$100 in 1952 → Today
Official data verified · U.S. CPI-U · Annual average · NSA · Data through September 2026 (fetched 2026-11-02) · Series CUUR0000SA0
$1,251.38
+1151.4% cumulative inflation · 1952–2026
Your $100 in 1952 would have the purchasing power of $1,251.38 today.
What this means
- Purchasing power: $100 in 1952 had the same average buying power as $1,251.38 in 2026.
- Price level change: the overall consumer price level rose by 1151.4% across this 74-year span; the purchasing power of a dollar fell by 92.0%.
- 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 1952 | Worth in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $12.51 |
| $5 | $62.57 |
| $10 | $125.14 |
| $20 | $250.28 |
| $50 | $625.69 |
| $100 | $1,251.38 |
| $500 | $6,256.92 |
| $1,000 | $12,513.84 |
| $10,000 | $125,138.44 |
| $100,000 | $1,251,384.39 |
Key facts about 1952
- Consumer prices rose 2.3% in 1952 — the 65th-largest annual increase in the 1913–2026 record.
- Among the major categories tracked since 1952, Medical care rose the most: 3084.2% cumulatively to 2025.
- In the decade after 1952, prices rose 13.9% in total.
$100 in 1952, decade by decade
| Year | Worth | Cumulative price change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | $113.94 | +13.9% |
| 1972 | $157.50 | +57.5% |
| 1982 | $363.47 | +263.5% |
| 1992 | $528.50 | +428.5% |
| 2002 | $677.50 | +577.5% |
| 2012 | $864.76 | +764.8% |
| 2022 | $1,102.28 | +1002.3% |
| 2026 | $1,251.38 | +1151.4% |
Monthly CPI in 1952
| Month | CPI-U index | Change vs same month, prior year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 26.500 | 4.3% |
| February | 26.300 | 2.3% |
| March | 26.300 | 1.9% |
| April | 26.400 | 2.3% |
| May | 26.400 | 1.9% |
| June | 26.500 | 2.3% |
| July | 26.700 | 3.1% |
| August | 26.700 | 3.1% |
| September | 26.700 | 2.3% |
| October | 26.700 | 1.9% |
| November | 26.700 | 1.1% |
| December | 26.700 | 0.8% |
Annual average CPI-U for 1952: 26.550.
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 (1952 annual average): 26.550 · Index (2026 annual average): 332.243 · Ratio: 12.5138
Formula: amount × (indexend / indexstart). Formula v1.0 — annual-average CPI, NSA (per-country basis on each methodology page). Source: BLS data finder.