$100 in 1916 has the same buying power as about $3,048 in 2026. Prices rose 2,948.1% over 110 years, an average of 3.16% per year, and the dollar lost about 97% of its 1916 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1916- Cumulative inflation
- 2,948.1%
- Average per year
- 3.16%
- Inflation rate in 1916
- 7.9%
- CPI-U 1916 → 2026
- 10.9 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×30.481
On the time scale
1916 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1916 in context: World War I
The CPI record starts in 1913, the year the Federal Reserve Act was signed. Prices were nearly flat until the war in Europe raised demand for American goods. After the United States entered the war in April 1917, heavy federal borrowing and a fast-growing money supply pushed annual inflation to 17–18% in 1917 and 1918. Prices almost doubled between 1915 and 1920.
- Inflation in 1916 was 7.9%, the 15th highest annual rate of the 112 full years from 1914 to 2025.
- From 1913 to 1919, inflation averaged 9.75% a year, from a high of 18.0% in 1918 to a low of 1.0% in 1915.
- Prices first reached double their 1916 level in 1947, 31 years later.
Read more: The history of US inflation
1916 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1916 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $30.48 |
| $5 | $152.41 |
| $10 | $304.81 |
| $20 | $609.62 |
| $50 | $1,524 |
| $100 | $3,048 |
| $500 | $15,241 |
| $1,000 | $30,481 |
| $10,000 | $304,810 |
| $100,000 | $3,048,101 |
Value of $100 from 1916, year by year
What $100 from 1916 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1916 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1916 | $100 | 7.9% |
| 1917 | $117.43 | 17.4% |
| 1918 | $138.53 | 18.0% |
| 1919 | $158.72 | 14.6% |
| 1920 | $183.49 | 15.6% |
| 1921 | $164.22 | -10.5% |
| 1922 | $154.13 | -6.1% |
| 1923 | $156.88 | 1.8% |
| 1924 | $156.88 | 0.0% |
| 1925 | $160.55 | 2.3% |
| 1926 | $162.39 | 1.1% |
| 1927 | $159.63 | -1.7% |
| 1928 | $156.88 | -1.7% |
| 1929 | $156.88 | 0.0% |
| 1930 | $153.21 | -2.3% |
| 1931 | $139.45 | -9.0% |
| 1932 | $125.69 | -9.9% |
| 1933 | $119.27 | -5.1% |
| 1934 | $122.94 | 3.1% |
| 1935 | $125.69 | 2.2% |
| 1936 | $127.52 | 1.5% |
| 1937 | $132.11 | 3.6% |
| 1938 | $129.36 | -2.1% |
| 1939 | $127.52 | -1.4% |
| 1940 | $128.44 | 0.7% |
| 1941 | $134.86 | 5.0% |
| 1942 | $149.54 | 10.9% |
| 1943 | $158.72 | 6.1% |
| 1944 | $161.47 | 1.7% |
| 1945 | $165.14 | 2.3% |
| 1946 | $178.90 | 8.3% |
| 1947 | $204.59 | 14.4% |
| 1948 | $221.10 | 8.1% |
| 1949 | $218.35 | -1.2% |
| 1950 | $221.10 | 1.3% |
| 1951 | $238.53 | 7.9% |
| 1952 | $243.12 | 1.9% |
| 1953 | $244.95 | 0.8% |
| 1954 | $246.79 | 0.7% |
| 1955 | $245.87 | -0.4% |
| 1956 | $249.54 | 1.5% |
| 1957 | $257.80 | 3.3% |
| 1958 | $265.14 | 2.8% |
| 1959 | $266.97 | 0.7% |
| 1960 | $271.56 | 1.7% |
| 1961 | $274.31 | 1.0% |
| 1962 | $277.06 | 1.0% |
| 1963 | $280.73 | 1.3% |
| 1964 | $284.40 | 1.3% |
| 1965 | $288.99 | 1.6% |
| 1966 | $297.25 | 2.9% |
| 1967 | $306.42 | 3.1% |
| 1968 | $319.27 | 4.2% |
| 1969 | $336.70 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | $355.96 | 5.7% |
| 1971 | $371.56 | 4.4% |
| 1972 | $383.49 | 3.2% |
| 1973 | $407.34 | 6.2% |
| 1974 | $452.29 | 11.0% |
| 1975 | $493.58 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $522.02 | 5.8% |
| 1977 | $555.96 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $598.17 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $666.06 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $755.96 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $833.94 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $885.32 | 6.2% |
| 1983 | $913.76 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $953.21 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $987.16 | 3.6% |
| 1986 | $1,006 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $1,042 | 3.6% |
| 1988 | $1,085 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $1,138 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $1,199 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $1,250 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $1,287 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $1,326 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $1,360 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $1,398 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $1,439 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $1,472 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $1,495 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $1,528 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $1,580 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $1,625 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $1,650 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $1,688 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $1,733 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $1,792 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $1,850 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $1,902 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $1,975 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $1,968 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $2,001 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $2,064 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $2,106 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $2,137 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $2,172 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $2,174 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $2,202 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $2,249 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $2,304 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $2,345 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $2,374 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $2,486 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $2,685 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $2,795 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $2,878 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $2,954 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $3,048 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1916 dollars
What is $100 in 1916 worth today?
$100 in 1916 is worth about $3,048 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 97% of its 1916 purchasing power, so it takes 30.48 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1916. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 10.9 in 1916 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1916?
Cumulative US inflation from 1916 to 2026 is about 2,948.1%, an average of 3.16% per year over 110 years.
What is $1,000 in 1916 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1916 has the same buying power as about $30,481 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1916?
The US inflation rate in 1916 was 7.9%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1915 (10.1) to 1916 (10.9).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1916). Figures are national averages for educational use and are not financial advice. The era summary is written with AI assistance; every figure on this page is computed from BLS data. See Understanding the CPI and the history of US inflation.