$100 in 1946 has the same buying power as about $1,704 in 2026. Prices rose 1,603.8% over 80 years, an average of 3.61% per year, and the dollar lost about 94% of its 1946 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1946- Cumulative inflation
- 1,603.8%
- Average per year
- 3.61%
- Inflation rate in 1946
- 8.3%
- CPI-U 1946 → 2026
- 19.5 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×17.038
On the time scale
1946 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1946 in context: Postwar decontrol
Most price controls ended in 1946. Wartime savings, pent-up demand, and scarce consumer goods sent prices up 8.3% in 1946 and 14.4% in 1947, and the CPI rose about a third between 1945 and 1948 before the 1949 recession brought a small decline.
- Inflation in 1946 was 8.3%, the 12th highest annual rate of the 112 full years from 1914 to 2025.
- From 1946 to 1949, inflation averaged 7.23% a year, from a high of 14.4% in 1947 to a low of -1.2% in 1949.
- Prices first reached double their 1946 level in 1971, 25 years later.
Read more: The history of US inflation
1946 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1946 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $17.04 |
| $5 | $85.19 |
| $10 | $170.38 |
| $20 | $340.76 |
| $50 | $851.91 |
| $100 | $1,704 |
| $500 | $8,519 |
| $1,000 | $17,038 |
| $10,000 | $170,381 |
| $100,000 | $1,703,810 |
Value of $100 from 1946, year by year
What $100 from 1946 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1946 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | $100 | 8.3% |
| 1947 | $114.36 | 14.4% |
| 1948 | $123.59 | 8.1% |
| 1949 | $122.05 | -1.2% |
| 1950 | $123.59 | 1.3% |
| 1951 | $133.33 | 7.9% |
| 1952 | $135.90 | 1.9% |
| 1953 | $136.92 | 0.8% |
| 1954 | $137.95 | 0.7% |
| 1955 | $137.44 | -0.4% |
| 1956 | $139.49 | 1.5% |
| 1957 | $144.10 | 3.3% |
| 1958 | $148.21 | 2.8% |
| 1959 | $149.23 | 0.7% |
| 1960 | $151.79 | 1.7% |
| 1961 | $153.33 | 1.0% |
| 1962 | $154.87 | 1.0% |
| 1963 | $156.92 | 1.3% |
| 1964 | $158.97 | 1.3% |
| 1965 | $161.54 | 1.6% |
| 1966 | $166.15 | 2.9% |
| 1967 | $171.28 | 3.1% |
| 1968 | $178.46 | 4.2% |
| 1969 | $188.21 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | $198.97 | 5.7% |
| 1971 | $207.69 | 4.4% |
| 1972 | $214.36 | 3.2% |
| 1973 | $227.69 | 6.2% |
| 1974 | $252.82 | 11.0% |
| 1975 | $275.90 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $291.79 | 5.8% |
| 1977 | $310.77 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $334.36 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $372.31 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $422.56 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $466.15 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $494.87 | 6.2% |
| 1983 | $510.77 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $532.82 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $551.79 | 3.6% |
| 1986 | $562.05 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $582.56 | 3.6% |
| 1988 | $606.67 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $635.90 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $670.26 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $698.46 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $719.49 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $741.03 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $760 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $781.54 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $804.62 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $823.08 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $835.90 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $854.36 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $883.08 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $908.21 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $922.56 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $943.59 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $968.72 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $1,002 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $1,034 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $1,063 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $1,104 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $1,100 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $1,118 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $1,154 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $1,177 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $1,195 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $1,214 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $1,215 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $1,231 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $1,257 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $1,288 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $1,311 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $1,327 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $1,390 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $1,501 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $1,563 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $1,609 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $1,651 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $1,704 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1946 dollars
What is $100 in 1946 worth today?
$100 in 1946 is worth about $1,704 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 94% of its 1946 purchasing power, so it takes 17.04 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1946. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 19.5 in 1946 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1946?
Cumulative US inflation from 1946 to 2026 is about 1,603.8%, an average of 3.61% per year over 80 years.
What is $1,000 in 1946 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1946 has the same buying power as about $17,038 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1946?
The US inflation rate in 1946 was 8.3%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1945 (18.0) to 1946 (19.5).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1946). 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.