Inflation Calculator
What would $100 from 2015 buy today, and how much will your salary need to grow to keep up? This inflation calculator adjusts a dollar amount between any two years from 1999 to 2025 using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Switch to projection mode to see the effect of a constant inflation rate on future prices.
Updated
Results
- Cumulative inflation
- Average annual inflationGeometric mean of the yearly rates
- Purchasing powerYour amount in start-year dollars
- Latest 12-month CPI-U inflationMost recent BLS release
- Latest CPI monthMonth of the latest data in the calculator
| Year | Inflation | Value |
|---|
Results are estimates. See the methodology below.
How to use the calculator
Historical mode
- Amount: the dollar figure you want to adjust, such as an old salary, a price or a savings balance.
- Start year: the year the amount refers to.
- End year: the year you want to express it in. Put an earlier end year to go backwards, for example to see what today's price would have been in 2019.
Projection mode
- Amount: today's cost.
- Annual inflation rate: the rate you want to test.
- Number of years into the future.
The table shows the inflation rate used for each year and the running value.
How the calculator works
Historical mode uses the BLS annual average percent change in the CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items. Starting from your amount, it applies each year's inflation in turn, from the year after the start year up to the end year:
Adjusted = amount × (1 + r₁) × (1 + r₂) × … × (1 + rₙ)
- Cumulative inflation = the combined factor − 1.
- Average annual inflation = the geometric mean of the yearly rates.
- Purchasing power = amount ÷ factor: what your amount from the end year would have been worth in start-year dollars.
If the end year comes before the start year, the amount is deflated instead. Projection mode multiplies by (1 + rate) once per year.
Because it chains annual averages rounded to one decimal, the result can differ slightly from the BLS CPI Inflation Calculator, which works from monthly index values. The calculator also shows the latest published 12-month change in the CPI-U: 3.4% for August 2026.
Worked examples
1. $100 from 2020 in 2025 dollars
| Year | CPI-U inflation | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4.7% | $104.70 |
| 2022 | 8.0% | $113.08 |
| 2023 | 4.1% | $117.71 |
| 2024 | 2.9% | $121.13 |
| 2025 | 2.6% | $124.28 |
Prices rose 24.28% in five years, an average of 4.44% a year. Put the other way, $100 in 2025 bought what $80.47 bought in 2020.
2. A longer stretch
$100 in 2015 equals $135.60 in 2025 (35.60% cumulative, 3.09% a year). A $50,000 salary in 2000 would need to be $93,238.07 in 2025 just to keep the same buying power.
3. Going backwards
From 2025 to 2019, $1,000 becomes $795.13 in 2019 dollars.
4. Projection
At a constant 3% a year, something that costs $1,000 today would cost $1,343.92 in 10 years. At 2.5% for 20 years, $60,000 of yearly expenses grows to $98,316.99.
How to read your results
The CPI-U measures the average change in prices paid by urban consumers for a broad basket of goods and services. Your own cost of living can rise faster or slower, depending on what you spend on, such as rent, health care or gas, and where you live. The projection is a what-if scenario, not a forecast; test a few rates.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current inflation rate?
According to the BLS, the CPI-U rose 3.4% over the 12 months ending August 2026, before seasonal adjustment. The BLS publishes new CPI figures every month, and the calculator shows the latest month included in its data next to the rate.
What does $100 in 2015 equal today?
Using annual averages through 2025, it equals $135.60. Prices in 2026 aren't included yet because a full-year average isn't available until the year ends.
Why does the average differ from the simple average of the yearly rates?
Inflation compounds: each year's increase applies to prices that already went up the year before. The geometric mean is the single rate that, applied every year, gives the same cumulative result.
Can I use this to adjust a salary or a contract?
Yes, to see whether a raise kept up with prices. Contracts and government programs often specify their own index and timing, so the calculator's figure may not match an official adjustment exactly.
Why can't I go back before 1999?
The calculator's built-in series starts with the 2000 annual change, so 1999 is the earliest start year. The BLS publishes CPI-U data for earlier years if you need them.
Sources
This calculator gives estimates based on national average CPI-U data and is for information only. Projections use the rate you enter and are not forecasts.