Finance tools
Inflation calculator
Free US inflation calculator and CPI inflation calculator using official BLS CPI-U data from 1913 to today. See how much a dollar amount is worth in another year — purchasing power, cumulative inflation %, average annual rate, and a chart. Use historical CPI for past comparisons, or switch to future inflation calculator / reverse inflation calculator modes with a flat rate, then export CSV or PDF.
What this inflation calculator does
This inflation calculator (also called a purchasing power calculator or CPI calculator) adjusts a US dollar amount between two dates using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, series CUUR0000SA0). Enter an amount and year range to see the inflation-adjusted value, cumulative inflation, and average annual inflation rate.
Switch to Project forward or Reverse to model a flat annual inflation rate instead of historical CPI — useful for “what will $100 be worth in 20 years?” scenarios.
CPI purchasing power
Monthly BLS CPI-U from 1913 through the latest published month — ratio-based adjustment between any two dates.
Flat-rate modes
Project future value or reverse-calculate what today’s money was worth in the past using a custom annual inflation rate.
Chart & export
Purchasing power line chart plus CSV/PDF export for budgeting, salary negotiations, and financial planning.
How to use the inflation calculator
Enter the dollar amount
Type the amount you want to adjust — for example $100, $1,000, or your annual salary.
Select start and end years
Pick the years (and months under Advanced) that define your comparison period.
Read the adjusted amount
The hero shows the inflation-adjusted value, cumulative inflation %, average annual inflation, and a chart of purchasing power over time.
Inflation formula (CPI ratio)
Purchasing power adjustment
Adjusted = Amount × (CPIend / CPIstart)Cumulative inflation % = (CPIend / CPIstart − 1) × 100. Average annual inflation uses geometric annualization over the period.
Example: $100 in January 1990 (CPI 127.4) → January 2024 (CPI 308.417) ≈ $242.09 — about 142% cumulative inflation over 34 years (~2.6% per year on average).
For a single year, divide the CPI change by the starting CPI: January 2022 → January 2023 on $100 ≈ $109.70 (roughly 9.7% cumulative).
Inflation calculator examples (CPI-backed)
These examples use monthly BLS CPI-U ratios in this calculator — the same method as the official BLS inflation calculator. Figures are rounded to the nearest cent; your exact result may vary slightly if you pick different months under Advanced.
$20,000 in January 1980 → January 2026 ≈ $83,612 (about 318% cumulative inflation; ~3.2% average per year).
$800 in January 1995 → January 2026 ≈ $1,731 (about 116% cumulative; ~2.5% average per year).
$50,000 in January 1990 → January 2026 ≈ $127,650 (about 155% cumulative; ~2.6% average per year).
$100,000 today in 20 years at 2.5% assumed inflation (Project forward mode) ≈ $163,862 — the nominal amount you would need to match today’s purchasing power.
For salary or wage comparisons, enter your annual pay as the amount and compare two calendar years — a common salary inflation calculator use case without a separate tool.
Historical CPI vs future inflation rate
CPI mode answers factual questions: “What is $X from year A worth in year B?” using published index values. That is the core of a CPI inflation calculator — no assumptions beyond official data.
Project forward and Reverse modes answer “what if?” questions with a flat annual inflation rate you choose (default 2.5% for the US). Use these as a future inflation calculator when you do not know future CPI — for example, “How much will $100,000 be worth in 20 years?” at 2.5% you need about $163,862 in future dollars to preserve purchasing power.
Many planners anchor on the Federal Reserve’s ~2% long-run target but stress-test at 3% for conservative budgets. Historical US CPI averaged roughly 3% over the long run, with sharp spikes in 2022 (~6.5% calendar year) and normalization toward 2–3% in 2024–2025.
Why inflation matters for wages and savings
Inflation erodes purchasing power — the same nominal salary buys less over time unless pay keeps pace. If your employer offers a 3% raise but CPI rose 4% over the same period, your real wage still fell. Use this tool alongside our paycheck calculator and hourly wage calculator to compare take-home pay with inflation-adjusted value.
Cash sitting in a non-interest account loses real value every year. At 2.5% inflation, $50,000 loses about $1,250 of purchasing power in one year — which is why financial planning often pairs inflation estimates with investment or savings growth tools.
For investment growth math (not CPI adjustment), see the compound interest calculator.
How this differs from compound interest
This tool adjusts a dollar amount for historical CPI inflation or a flat assumed rate — it answers “what is $X worth in another year?” The compound interest calculator models investment growth with compounding and optional inflation deflation of portfolio returns. Use inflation for purchasing power; use compound interest for savings and investment projections.
Data source and limitations
US CPI data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), CPI-U All Items, not seasonally adjusted. CPI measures price changes for an average urban consumer basket — your personal inflation experience may differ by location, spending habits, or product mix.
We use CPI-U All Items, which includes food and energy. Core CPI (excluding food and energy) is a separate BLS series often cited by economists for smoother trend analysis — it is not available in this v1 tool. Regional metro CPI indexes also exist but are out of scope.
This tool provides estimates for education and planning — not tax, investment, or legal advice. For official BLS tools, visit bls.gov.
More free tools
Discover more calculators for time tracking, payroll, and HR.
Frequently asked questions about Inflation calculator
How do I calculate inflation between two years?
Divide the CPI at the end date by the CPI at the start date, subtract 1, and multiply by 100 for cumulative inflation %. To adjust a dollar amount, multiply by the same CPI ratio: Amount × (CPIend / CPIstart). This calculator does that automatically using monthly BLS CPI-U data.
What CPI does this calculator use?
We use CPI-U All Items (BLS series CUUR0000SA0), not seasonally adjusted — the standard benchmark for US inflation and purchasing power comparisons.
What was the US inflation rate in 2022?
Calendar-year 2022 had high US inflation — roughly 6.5% year-over-year on CPI-U (varies slightly by start/end month). Use this tool with January 2022 → January 2023 for a precise period match.
How much will $100 be worth in 20 years?
Switch to Project forward, enter $100, set years to 20, and choose an annual inflation rate (default 2.5%). At 2.5% for 20 years, $100 grows to about $163.86 in nominal terms — meaning you’d need that much future money to match today’s purchasing power.
What is the difference between inflation and purchasing power?
Inflation is the rate prices rise. Purchasing power is what your money can buy — when prices rise, each dollar buys less. This calculator shows both the adjusted dollar amount and inflation percentages.
How does inflation affect my salary?
If your pay stays flat while CPI rises, your real wages fall. Compare your salary in two years with CPI mode, or model a cost-of-living raise using the average annual inflation % shown in results.
What inflation rate should I use for future projections?
The Federal Reserve targets about 2% long-run inflation; many planners use 2–3% for conservative estimates. This tool defaults to 2.5% in flat-rate modes — adjust to match your scenario.
Is this the same as the BLS inflation calculator?
We use the same underlying CPI-U series as the official BLS calculator. Ordio adds charting, flat-rate project/reverse modes, and CSV/PDF export.
Can I calculate reverse inflation (today's value in the past)?
Yes — use Reverse mode with a flat rate, or in CPI mode pick an end year after the start year and read how much past money equals today’s amount (swap years for the opposite direction).
How much is $20,000 from 1980 worth today?
Using BLS CPI-U, $20,000 in January 1980 has roughly the same purchasing power as about $83,612 in January 2026 — about 318% cumulative inflation over the period. Select those years in CPI mode to reproduce the exact figure in this calculator.
What is $50,000 from 1990 worth today?
$50,000 in January 1990 ≈ $127,650 in January 2026 on CPI-U (about 155% cumulative inflation). This is a common salary inflation calculator comparison when checking whether long-run pay kept pace with prices.
How much is $800 from 1995 worth today?
$800 in January 1995 ≈ $1,731 in January 2026 on CPI-U — a popular “People also ask” comparison. Enter $800, start year 1995, end year 2026 in CPI mode for the precise monthly result.
What is a reverse inflation calculator?
A reverse inflation calculator finds what a today’s dollar amount was worth in the past (or what past money equals today) using either CPI ratios or a flat rate. Use Reverse mode with an assumed annual rate, or in CPI mode compare years in either direction — e.g. how much 2026 money equals in 1995 dollars.
What is the difference between CPI and core inflation?
CPI-U All Items includes food and energy. Core CPI excludes them because those categories swing sharply month to month. This calculator uses All Items CPI-U (BLS series CUUR0000SA0) — the standard benchmark for purchasing power and the same family of data as the official BLS inflation calculator.
Does this calculator include food and energy prices?
Yes — CPI-U All Items includes food and energy. We do not offer core CPI (excluding food and energy) in v1; that is on the v1.1 backlog.