$100 in 1949 has the same buying power as about $1,396 in 2026. Prices rose 1,296.0% over 77 years, an average of 3.48% per year, and the dollar lost about 93% of its 1949 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1949- Cumulative inflation
- 1,296.0%
- Average per year
- 3.48%
- Inflation rate in 1949
- -1.2%
- CPI-U 1949 → 2026
- 23.8 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×13.960
On the time scale
1949 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1949 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 1949 was -1.2% (prices fell), the 11th lowest 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 1949 level in 1974, 25 years later.
Read more: The history of US inflation
1949 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1949 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $13.96 |
| $5 | $69.80 |
| $10 | $139.60 |
| $20 | $279.20 |
| $50 | $697.99 |
| $100 | $1,396 |
| $500 | $6,980 |
| $1,000 | $13,960 |
| $10,000 | $139,598 |
| $100,000 | $1,395,979 |
Value of $100 from 1949, year by year
What $100 from 1949 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1949 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | $100 | -1.2% |
| 1950 | $101.26 | 1.3% |
| 1951 | $109.24 | 7.9% |
| 1952 | $111.34 | 1.9% |
| 1953 | $112.18 | 0.8% |
| 1954 | $113.03 | 0.7% |
| 1955 | $112.61 | -0.4% |
| 1956 | $114.29 | 1.5% |
| 1957 | $118.07 | 3.3% |
| 1958 | $121.43 | 2.8% |
| 1959 | $122.27 | 0.7% |
| 1960 | $124.37 | 1.7% |
| 1961 | $125.63 | 1.0% |
| 1962 | $126.89 | 1.0% |
| 1963 | $128.57 | 1.3% |
| 1964 | $130.25 | 1.3% |
| 1965 | $132.35 | 1.6% |
| 1966 | $136.13 | 2.9% |
| 1967 | $140.34 | 3.1% |
| 1968 | $146.22 | 4.2% |
| 1969 | $154.20 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | $163.03 | 5.7% |
| 1971 | $170.17 | 4.4% |
| 1972 | $175.63 | 3.2% |
| 1973 | $186.55 | 6.2% |
| 1974 | $207.14 | 11.0% |
| 1975 | $226.05 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $239.08 | 5.8% |
| 1977 | $254.62 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $273.95 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $305.04 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $346.22 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $381.93 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $405.46 | 6.2% |
| 1983 | $418.49 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $436.55 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $452.10 | 3.6% |
| 1986 | $460.50 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $477.31 | 3.6% |
| 1988 | $497.06 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $521.01 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $549.16 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $572.27 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $589.50 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $607.14 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $622.69 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $640.34 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $659.24 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $674.37 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $684.87 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $700.00 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $723.53 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $744.12 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $755.88 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $773.11 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $793.70 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $820.59 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $847.06 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $871.18 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $904.63 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $901.42 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $916.20 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $945.12 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $964.68 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $978.81 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $994.69 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $995.87 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $1,008 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $1,030 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $1,055 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $1,074 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $1,087 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $1,139 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $1,230 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $1,280 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $1,318 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $1,353 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $1,396 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1949 dollars
What is $100 in 1949 worth today?
$100 in 1949 is worth about $1,396 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 93% of its 1949 purchasing power, so it takes 13.96 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1949. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 23.8 in 1949 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1949?
Cumulative US inflation from 1949 to 2026 is about 1,296.0%, an average of 3.48% per year over 77 years.
What is $1,000 in 1949 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1949 has the same buying power as about $13,960 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1949?
The US inflation rate in 1949 was -1.2%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1948 (24.1) to 1949 (23.8).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1949). 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.