Total Inflation
82.17%
US Inflation Calculator
See how much purchasing power has changed between two years using CPI data.
Value in 2024
$1,821.72
Avg. Annual Inflation
2.53%
Based on approximate annual average CPI-U index values through 2025; for educational use. A given year's figure is an annual average, so it only exists once that year has finished — add the new year each January.
How to use the US Inflation Calculator
The US Inflation Calculator is free and runs entirely in your browser — no sign-up, and nothing you enter leaves your device. It opens pre-filled with a realistic example, so you can see how it works before replacing any figure with your own; the results update as you type. Press Calculate to refresh the result panel, or Reset to return to the example.
The inputs it asks for:
- Amount — a dollar amount.
- Start Year — choose from 46 options (1980, 1981, 1982, …).
- End Year — choose from 46 options (1980, 1981, 1982, …).
The formula
The calculator scales an amount by the ratio of the Consumer Price Index between the two years:
Adjusted value = Amount × (CPI_end ÷ CPI_start)- Amount
- the sum in the start year's dollars
- CPI
- the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U annual average) for each year
CPI measures the average price of a broad basket of consumer goods and services. Your personal inflation can differ if your spending skews toward faster-rising categories like housing, healthcare or tuition.
Worked example
Using the example values — Amount $1,000.00, Start Year 2000, End Year 2024 — the US Inflation Calculator returns a Value in 2024 of $1,821.72. It also reports Total Inflation (82.17%), Avg. Annual Inflation (2.53%).
Prefer your own numbers? Change any field above and this recomputes instantly.
Key terms
- CPI
- Consumer Price Index — the standard gauge of average consumer price changes over time.
- Purchasing power
- How much a fixed amount of money can actually buy.
- Real vs. nominal
- Nominal is the face amount; real is adjusted for inflation into constant purchasing power.
Frequently asked questions
What is CPI?
A government index tracking the average price of a fixed basket of goods and services. The change in CPI between two years is the headline inflation rate over that span.
Why doesn't it match my experience?
CPI is an average across the whole economy. If you spend more than average on categories rising faster than the index (rent, medical care), your felt inflation will be higher.
Is a raise that matches inflation really a raise?
Only in nominal terms — it holds your purchasing power flat. A raise below inflation is a real-terms pay cut; compare with the salary increase calculator.