BLS CPI-U Inflation Calculator
Convert dollar amounts across any years from 1913 to 2025 using BLS CPI-U annual averages. See cumulative inflation percentage and average annual inflation rate for any period.
This US inflation calculator and purchasing power converter transforms dollar amounts between any two years using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, series CUUR0000SA0) annual averages, 1913–2025. The CPI-U base period is 1982–84 = 100. Formula: equivalent value = original amount × (CPI_target / CPI_start).
The BLS publishes monthly CPI data and an annual-average series used here for historical comparisons. The October 2025 index was unavailable because of the federal funding lapse, so BLS computed the 2025 annual average from the 11 published monthly values. Latest monthly reference: the June 2026 BLS CPI-U release reports the unadjusted all-items index at 333.952. This calculator intentionally uses annual averages, so 2026 is not selectable until BLS publishes its completed annual value.
Worked example: $100 in 1980 → 2025. CPI 1980 = 82.4; CPI 2025 = 321.943. Equivalent = $100 × (321.943 / 82.4) = $390.71 — cumulative inflation of 290.7%, or 3.07% annualized over 45 years.
How it's calculated
How to use this calculator
- Enter the dollar amount you want to convert.
- Select the starting year and target year (both between 1913 and 2025).
- The result shows the equivalent value, cumulative inflation, and average annual rate.
- Reverse the years to convert from past purchasing power to today's dollars.
- Source data: BLS CPI-U series CUUR0000SA0 annual averages.
Formula and assumptions
The calculation is a direct ratio of CPI-U index values. The CPI-U base period is 1982–84 = 100 (BLS series CUUR0000SA0), but any two years' values can be compared via ratio — the base cancels out.
equivalentValue = amount × (CPI_target / CPI_start) cumulativeInflation = (CPI_target / CPI_start) - 1 avgAnnualRate = (CPI_target / CPI_start)^(1 / years) - 1 Data: BLS CPI-U annual averages, 1913–2025 (series CUUR0000SA0)
- CPI series
- CPI-U All Items, U.S. City Average (CUUR0000SA0)
- Annual averages
- BLS annual-average values, not point-in-time monthly indexes; October 2025 was unavailable
- Base period
- 1982–84 = 100 (per BLS)
- 2025
- Latest annual value: 321.943; 2026 is not yet in the annual dataset
- Refresh cadence
- A new year is added after BLS publishes its annual value; monthly releases are references only
Worked example
$100 in 2000 → 2025 (CPI 172.2 → 321.943, BLS CUUR0000SA0)
Decade-by-decade purchasing power
What $1,000 at the start of each decade is worth in 2025 dollars, using BLS CPI-U annual averages (series CUUR0000SA0). The 1930s deflation explains why $1,000 in 1930 goes further in 2025 equivalent terms than $1,000 in 1920.
| Decade start | CPI-U (annual avg) | $1,000 then = today |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 20.0 | $16,097 |
| 1930 | 16.7 | $19,278 |
| 1940 | 14.0 | $22,996 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | $13,359 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | $10,876 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | $8,298 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | $3,907 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | $2,463 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | $1,870 |
| 2010 | 218.1 | $1,476 |
| 2020 | 258.8 | $1,244 |
CPI-U 2025 annual average: 321.943 (BLS series CUUR0000SA0).
Limitations
- CPI-U measures an urban consumer basket — rural or specific category inflation may differ (BLS publishes regional CPI-U separately).
- Annual averages do not capture intra-year price changes.
- Data ends at 2025 — 2026 annual average data is not yet available from BLS.
- CPI is not a perfect proxy for any individual's actual cost of living.
- Chained CPI-U and PCE (Federal Reserve's preferred measure) can differ materially over long horizons.
Frequently asked questions
This calculator uses BLS CPI-U annual averages from 1913–2025 (series CUUR0000SA0) to convert purchasing power across years. $100 in 2000 equals about $187 in 2025 — 87.0% cumulative inflation, or 2.53% per year on average.
Recent updates
- July 2026Corrected all visible 2025 CPI-U examples and tables to 321.943, matching the calculator dataset and BLS series; refreshed the latest monthly reference to June 2026.
- May 2026AI audit applied: equivalent value now rounded to cents; O(1) CPI lookup; schema hardened with .finite() and safe upper bound; ** exponentiation operator; nullish guard on missing CPI data.
- May 2026Added decade-by-decade purchasing-power table and a monthly CPI-U reference.
- Jan 2026Dataset JSON-LD added (BLS CPI-U annual averages 1913–2025, series CUUR0000SA0).
- Jan 2026BLS CPI-U 2025 annual average (321.943) added to the dataset.