$100 in 1942 has the same buying power as about $2,038 in 2026. Prices rose 1,938.3% over 84 years, an average of 3.65% per year, and the dollar lost about 95% of its 1942 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1942- Cumulative inflation
- 1,938.3%
- Average per year
- 3.65%
- Inflation rate in 1942
- 10.9%
- CPI-U 1942 → 2026
- 16.3 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×20.383
On the time scale
1942 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1942 in context: World War II
War production ended the Depression, and inflation reached 10.9% in 1942. Washington responded with the Office of Price Administration, which set price ceilings and rationed sugar, coffee, gasoline, tires, and meat. With controls in place, measured inflation fell below 3% in 1944 and 1945, although shortages and black markets meant the official figures understated the real pressure on prices.
- Inflation in 1942 was 10.9%, the 9th highest annual rate of the 112 full years from 1914 to 2025.
- From 1941 to 1945, inflation averaged 5.15% a year, from a high of 10.9% in 1942 to a low of 1.7% in 1944.
- Prices first reached double their 1942 level in 1967, 25 years later.
Read more: The history of US inflation
1942 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1942 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $20.38 |
| $5 | $101.92 |
| $10 | $203.83 |
| $20 | $407.66 |
| $50 | $1,019 |
| $100 | $2,038 |
| $500 | $10,192 |
| $1,000 | $20,383 |
| $10,000 | $203,830 |
| $100,000 | $2,038,301 |
Value of $100 from 1942, year by year
What $100 from 1942 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1942 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | $100 | 10.9% |
| 1943 | $106.13 | 6.1% |
| 1944 | $107.98 | 1.7% |
| 1945 | $110.43 | 2.3% |
| 1946 | $119.63 | 8.3% |
| 1947 | $136.81 | 14.4% |
| 1948 | $147.85 | 8.1% |
| 1949 | $146.01 | -1.2% |
| 1950 | $147.85 | 1.3% |
| 1951 | $159.51 | 7.9% |
| 1952 | $162.58 | 1.9% |
| 1953 | $163.80 | 0.8% |
| 1954 | $165.03 | 0.7% |
| 1955 | $164.42 | -0.4% |
| 1956 | $166.87 | 1.5% |
| 1957 | $172.39 | 3.3% |
| 1958 | $177.30 | 2.8% |
| 1959 | $178.53 | 0.7% |
| 1960 | $181.60 | 1.7% |
| 1961 | $183.44 | 1.0% |
| 1962 | $185.28 | 1.0% |
| 1963 | $187.73 | 1.3% |
| 1964 | $190.18 | 1.3% |
| 1965 | $193.25 | 1.6% |
| 1966 | $198.77 | 2.9% |
| 1967 | $204.91 | 3.1% |
| 1968 | $213.50 | 4.2% |
| 1969 | $225.15 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | $238.04 | 5.7% |
| 1971 | $248.47 | 4.4% |
| 1972 | $256.44 | 3.2% |
| 1973 | $272.39 | 6.2% |
| 1974 | $302.45 | 11.0% |
| 1975 | $330.06 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $349.08 | 5.8% |
| 1977 | $371.78 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $400 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $445.40 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $505.52 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $557.67 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $592.02 | 6.2% |
| 1983 | $611.04 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $637.42 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $660.12 | 3.6% |
| 1986 | $672.39 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $696.93 | 3.6% |
| 1988 | $725.77 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $760.74 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $801.84 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $835.58 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $860.74 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $886.50 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $909.20 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $934.97 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $962.58 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $984.66 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $1,000 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $1,022 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $1,056 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $1,087 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $1,104 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $1,129 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $1,159 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $1,198 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $1,237 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $1,272 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $1,321 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $1,316 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $1,338 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $1,380 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $1,409 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $1,429 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $1,452 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $1,454 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $1,472 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $1,504 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $1,541 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $1,568 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $1,588 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $1,662 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $1,795 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $1,869 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $1,924 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $1,975 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $2,038 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1942 dollars
What is $100 in 1942 worth today?
$100 in 1942 is worth about $2,038 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 95% of its 1942 purchasing power, so it takes 20.38 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1942. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 16.3 in 1942 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1942?
Cumulative US inflation from 1942 to 2026 is about 1,938.3%, an average of 3.65% per year over 84 years.
What is $1,000 in 1942 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1942 has the same buying power as about $20,383 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1942?
The US inflation rate in 1942 was 10.9%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1941 (14.7) to 1942 (16.3).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1942). 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.