$100 in 1920 has the same buying power as about $1,661 in 2026. Prices rose 1,561.2% over 106 years, an average of 2.69% per year, and the dollar lost about 94% of its 1920 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1920- Cumulative inflation
- 1,561.2%
- Average per year
- 2.69%
- Inflation rate in 1920
- 15.6%
- CPI-U 1920 → 2026
- 20.0 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×16.612
On the time scale
1920 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1920 in context: Postwar deflation and the 1920s
Prices peaked in 1920 and then fell hard as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates and wartime demand disappeared: the CPI dropped about 16% from 1920 to 1922, one of the steepest declines on record. The rest of the decade was unusually calm, with annual changes between −1.7% and +2.3%, even as output, stock prices, and consumer credit grew quickly.
- Inflation in 1920 was 15.6%, the 3rd highest annual rate of the 112 full years from 1914 to 2025.
- From 1920 to 1929, inflation averaged -0.12% a year, from a high of 15.6% in 1920 to a low of -10.5% in 1921.
- Prices first reached double their 1920 level in 1971, 51 years later.
Read more: The history of US inflation
1920 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1920 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $16.61 |
| $5 | $83.06 |
| $10 | $166.12 |
| $20 | $332.24 |
| $50 | $830.61 |
| $100 | $1,661 |
| $500 | $8,306 |
| $1,000 | $16,612 |
| $10,000 | $166,122 |
| $100,000 | $1,661,215 |
Value of $100 from 1920, year by year
What $100 from 1920 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1920 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | $100 | 15.6% |
| 1921 | $89.50 | -10.5% |
| 1922 | $84.00 | -6.1% |
| 1923 | $85.50 | 1.8% |
| 1924 | $85.50 | 0.0% |
| 1925 | $87.50 | 2.3% |
| 1926 | $88.50 | 1.1% |
| 1927 | $87.00 | -1.7% |
| 1928 | $85.50 | -1.7% |
| 1929 | $85.50 | 0.0% |
| 1930 | $83.50 | -2.3% |
| 1931 | $76 | -9.0% |
| 1932 | $68.50 | -9.9% |
| 1933 | $65 | -5.1% |
| 1934 | $67 | 3.1% |
| 1935 | $68.50 | 2.2% |
| 1936 | $69.50 | 1.5% |
| 1937 | $72 | 3.6% |
| 1938 | $70.50 | -2.1% |
| 1939 | $69.50 | -1.4% |
| 1940 | $70 | 0.7% |
| 1941 | $73.50 | 5.0% |
| 1942 | $81.50 | 10.9% |
| 1943 | $86.50 | 6.1% |
| 1944 | $88.00 | 1.7% |
| 1945 | $90 | 2.3% |
| 1946 | $97.50 | 8.3% |
| 1947 | $111.50 | 14.4% |
| 1948 | $120.50 | 8.1% |
| 1949 | $119 | -1.2% |
| 1950 | $120.50 | 1.3% |
| 1951 | $130 | 7.9% |
| 1952 | $132.50 | 1.9% |
| 1953 | $133.50 | 0.8% |
| 1954 | $134.50 | 0.7% |
| 1955 | $134 | -0.4% |
| 1956 | $136 | 1.5% |
| 1957 | $140.50 | 3.3% |
| 1958 | $144.50 | 2.8% |
| 1959 | $145.50 | 0.7% |
| 1960 | $148 | 1.7% |
| 1961 | $149.50 | 1.0% |
| 1962 | $151 | 1.0% |
| 1963 | $153 | 1.3% |
| 1964 | $155 | 1.3% |
| 1965 | $157.50 | 1.6% |
| 1966 | $162 | 2.9% |
| 1967 | $167 | 3.1% |
| 1968 | $174.00 | 4.2% |
| 1969 | $183.50 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | $194 | 5.7% |
| 1971 | $202.50 | 4.4% |
| 1972 | $209 | 3.2% |
| 1973 | $222.00 | 6.2% |
| 1974 | $246.50 | 11.0% |
| 1975 | $269 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $284.50 | 5.8% |
| 1977 | $303 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $326 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $363 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $412 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $454.50 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $482.50 | 6.2% |
| 1983 | $498.00 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $519.50 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $538 | 3.6% |
| 1986 | $548 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $568 | 3.6% |
| 1988 | $591.50 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $620 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $653.50 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $681 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $701.50 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $722.50 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $741.00 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $762 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $784.50 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $802.50 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $815 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $833 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $861 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $885.50 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $899.50 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $920.00 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $944.50 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $976.50 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $1,008 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $1,037 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $1,077 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $1,073 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $1,090 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $1,125 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $1,148 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $1,165 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $1,184 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $1,185 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $1,200 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $1,226 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $1,256 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $1,278 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $1,294 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $1,355 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $1,463 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $1,524 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $1,568 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $1,610 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $1,661 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1920 dollars
What is $100 in 1920 worth today?
$100 in 1920 is worth about $1,661 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 94% of its 1920 purchasing power, so it takes 16.61 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1920. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 20.0 in 1920 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1920?
Cumulative US inflation from 1920 to 2026 is about 1,561.2%, an average of 2.69% per year over 106 years.
What is $1,000 in 1920 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1920 has the same buying power as about $16,612 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1920?
The US inflation rate in 1920 was 15.6%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1919 (17.3) to 1920 (20.0).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1920). 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.