$100 in 1948 has the same buying power as about $1,379 in 2026. Prices rose 1,278.6% over 78 years, an average of 3.42% per year, and the dollar lost about 93% of its 1948 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1948- Cumulative inflation
- 1,278.6%
- Average per year
- 3.42%
- Inflation rate in 1948
- 8.1%
- CPI-U 1948 → 2026
- 24.1 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×13.786
On the time scale
1948 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1948 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 1948 was 8.1%, the 13th 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 1948 level in 1974, 26 years later.
Read more: The history of US inflation
1948 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1948 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $13.79 |
| $5 | $68.93 |
| $10 | $137.86 |
| $20 | $275.72 |
| $50 | $689.30 |
| $100 | $1,379 |
| $500 | $6,893 |
| $1,000 | $13,786 |
| $10,000 | $137,860 |
| $100,000 | $1,378,602 |
Value of $100 from 1948, year by year
What $100 from 1948 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1948 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | $100 | 8.1% |
| 1949 | $98.76 | -1.2% |
| 1950 | $100 | 1.3% |
| 1951 | $107.88 | 7.9% |
| 1952 | $109.96 | 1.9% |
| 1953 | $110.79 | 0.8% |
| 1954 | $111.62 | 0.7% |
| 1955 | $111.20 | -0.4% |
| 1956 | $112.86 | 1.5% |
| 1957 | $116.60 | 3.3% |
| 1958 | $119.92 | 2.8% |
| 1959 | $120.75 | 0.7% |
| 1960 | $122.82 | 1.7% |
| 1961 | $124.07 | 1.0% |
| 1962 | $125.31 | 1.0% |
| 1963 | $126.97 | 1.3% |
| 1964 | $128.63 | 1.3% |
| 1965 | $130.71 | 1.6% |
| 1966 | $134.44 | 2.9% |
| 1967 | $138.59 | 3.1% |
| 1968 | $144.40 | 4.2% |
| 1969 | $152.28 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | $161.00 | 5.7% |
| 1971 | $168.05 | 4.4% |
| 1972 | $173.44 | 3.2% |
| 1973 | $184.23 | 6.2% |
| 1974 | $204.56 | 11.0% |
| 1975 | $223.24 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $236.10 | 5.8% |
| 1977 | $251.45 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $270.54 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $301.24 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $341.91 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $377.18 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $400.41 | 6.2% |
| 1983 | $413.28 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $431.12 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $446.47 | 3.6% |
| 1986 | $454.77 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $471.37 | 3.6% |
| 1988 | $490.87 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $514.52 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $542.32 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $565.15 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $582.16 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $599.59 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $614.94 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $632.37 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $651.04 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $665.98 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $676.35 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $691.29 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $714.52 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $734.85 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $746.47 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $763.49 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $783.82 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $810.37 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $836.51 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $860.34 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $893.37 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $890.20 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $904.80 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $933.36 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $952.67 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $966.63 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $982.31 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $983.47 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $995.88 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $1,017 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $1,042 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $1,061 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $1,074 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $1,124 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $1,214 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $1,264 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $1,302 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $1,336 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $1,379 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1948 dollars
What is $100 in 1948 worth today?
$100 in 1948 is worth about $1,379 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 93% of its 1948 purchasing power, so it takes 13.79 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1948. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 24.1 in 1948 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1948?
Cumulative US inflation from 1948 to 2026 is about 1,278.6%, an average of 3.42% per year over 78 years.
What is $1,000 in 1948 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1948 has the same buying power as about $13,786 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1948?
The US inflation rate in 1948 was 8.1%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1947 (22.3) to 1948 (24.1).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1948). 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.