$100 in 1921 has the same buying power as about $1,856 in 2026. Prices rose 1,756.1% over 105 years, an average of 2.82% per year, and the dollar lost about 95% of its 1921 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1921- Cumulative inflation
- 1,756.1%
- Average per year
- 2.82%
- Inflation rate in 1921
- -10.5%
- CPI-U 1921 → 2026
- 17.9 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×18.561
On the time scale
1921 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1921 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 1921 was -10.5% (prices fell), the lowest 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 1921 level in 1969, 48 years later.
Read more: The history of US inflation
1921 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1921 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $18.56 |
| $5 | $92.81 |
| $10 | $185.61 |
| $20 | $371.22 |
| $50 | $928.05 |
| $100 | $1,856 |
| $500 | $9,281 |
| $1,000 | $18,561 |
| $10,000 | $185,611 |
| $100,000 | $1,856,106 |
Value of $100 from 1921, year by year
What $100 from 1921 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1921 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | $100 | -10.5% |
| 1922 | $93.85 | -6.1% |
| 1923 | $95.53 | 1.8% |
| 1924 | $95.53 | 0.0% |
| 1925 | $97.77 | 2.3% |
| 1926 | $98.88 | 1.1% |
| 1927 | $97.21 | -1.7% |
| 1928 | $95.53 | -1.7% |
| 1929 | $95.53 | 0.0% |
| 1930 | $93.30 | -2.3% |
| 1931 | $84.92 | -9.0% |
| 1932 | $76.54 | -9.9% |
| 1933 | $72.63 | -5.1% |
| 1934 | $74.86 | 3.1% |
| 1935 | $76.54 | 2.2% |
| 1936 | $77.65 | 1.5% |
| 1937 | $80.45 | 3.6% |
| 1938 | $78.77 | -2.1% |
| 1939 | $77.65 | -1.4% |
| 1940 | $78.21 | 0.7% |
| 1941 | $82.12 | 5.0% |
| 1942 | $91.06 | 10.9% |
| 1943 | $96.65 | 6.1% |
| 1944 | $98.32 | 1.7% |
| 1945 | $100.56 | 2.3% |
| 1946 | $108.94 | 8.3% |
| 1947 | $124.58 | 14.4% |
| 1948 | $134.64 | 8.1% |
| 1949 | $132.96 | -1.2% |
| 1950 | $134.64 | 1.3% |
| 1951 | $145.25 | 7.9% |
| 1952 | $148.04 | 1.9% |
| 1953 | $149.16 | 0.8% |
| 1954 | $150.28 | 0.7% |
| 1955 | $149.72 | -0.4% |
| 1956 | $151.96 | 1.5% |
| 1957 | $156.98 | 3.3% |
| 1958 | $161.45 | 2.8% |
| 1959 | $162.57 | 0.7% |
| 1960 | $165.36 | 1.7% |
| 1961 | $167.04 | 1.0% |
| 1962 | $168.72 | 1.0% |
| 1963 | $170.95 | 1.3% |
| 1964 | $173.18 | 1.3% |
| 1965 | $175.98 | 1.6% |
| 1966 | $181.01 | 2.9% |
| 1967 | $186.59 | 3.1% |
| 1968 | $194.41 | 4.2% |
| 1969 | $205.03 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | $216.76 | 5.7% |
| 1971 | $226.26 | 4.4% |
| 1972 | $233.52 | 3.2% |
| 1973 | $248.04 | 6.2% |
| 1974 | $275.42 | 11.0% |
| 1975 | $300.56 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $317.88 | 5.8% |
| 1977 | $338.55 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $364.25 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $405.59 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $460.34 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $507.82 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $539.11 | 6.2% |
| 1983 | $556.42 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $580.45 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $601.12 | 3.6% |
| 1986 | $612.29 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $634.64 | 3.6% |
| 1988 | $660.89 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $692.74 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $730.17 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $760.89 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $783.80 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $807.26 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $827.93 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $851.40 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $876.54 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $896.65 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $910.61 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $930.73 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $962.01 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $989.39 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $1,005 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $1,028 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $1,055 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $1,091 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $1,126 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $1,158 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $1,203 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $1,199 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $1,218 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $1,257 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $1,283 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $1,301 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $1,323 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $1,324 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $1,341 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $1,369 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $1,403 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $1,428 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $1,446 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $1,514 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $1,635 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $1,702 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $1,752 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $1,799 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $1,856 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1921 dollars
What is $100 in 1921 worth today?
$100 in 1921 is worth about $1,856 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 95% of its 1921 purchasing power, so it takes 18.56 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1921. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 17.9 in 1921 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1921?
Cumulative US inflation from 1921 to 2026 is about 1,756.1%, an average of 2.82% per year over 105 years.
What is $1,000 in 1921 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1921 has the same buying power as about $18,561 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1921?
The US inflation rate in 1921 was -10.5%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1920 (20.0) to 1921 (17.9).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1921). 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.