$100 in 1974 has the same buying power as about $673.92 in 2026. Prices rose 573.9% over 52 years, an average of 3.74% per year, and the dollar lost about 85% of its 1974 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1974- Cumulative inflation
- 573.9%
- Average per year
- 3.74%
- Inflation rate in 1974
- 11.0%
- CPI-U 1974 → 2026
- 49.3 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×6.739
On the time scale
1974 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1974 in context: Oil shocks and stagflation
The 1973–74 Arab oil embargo roughly quadrupled the price of crude, and inflation reached 11.0% in 1974. A second oil shock after the 1979 Iranian revolution pushed it to 13.5% in 1980, the highest annual rate since 1947, while unemployment rose at the same time. Paul Volcker, Fed chair from August 1979, let short-term interest rates climb to around 20%; the recessions of 1980 and 1981–82 that followed broke the cycle.
- Inflation in 1974 was 11.0%, the 8th highest annual rate of the 112 full years from 1914 to 2025.
- From 1973 to 1982, inflation averaged 8.73% a year, from a high of 13.5% in 1980 to a low of 5.8% in 1976.
- Prices first reached double their 1974 level in 1983, 9 years later.
Read more: The 1970s stagflation
1974 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1974 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $6.74 |
| $5 | $33.70 |
| $10 | $67.39 |
| $20 | $134.78 |
| $50 | $336.96 |
| $100 | $673.92 |
| $500 | $3,370 |
| $1,000 | $6,739 |
| $10,000 | $67,392 |
| $100,000 | $673,921 |
Value of $100 from 1974, year by year
What $100 from 1974 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1974 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | $100 | 11.0% |
| 1975 | $109.13 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $115.42 | 5.8% |
| 1977 | $122.92 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $132.25 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $147.26 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $167.14 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $184.38 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $195.74 | 6.2% |
| 1983 | $202.03 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $210.75 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $218.26 | 3.6% |
| 1986 | $222.31 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $230.43 | 3.6% |
| 1988 | $239.96 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $251.52 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $265.11 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $276.27 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $284.58 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $293.10 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $300.61 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $309.13 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $318.26 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $325.56 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $330.63 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $337.93 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $349.29 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $359.23 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $364.91 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $373.23 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $383.16 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $396.15 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $408.92 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $420.57 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $436.72 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $435.17 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $442.30 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $456.27 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $465.71 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $472.53 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $480.19 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $480.76 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $486.83 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $497.20 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $509.34 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $518.57 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $524.97 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $549.63 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $593.62 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $618.06 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $636.29 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $653.03 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $673.92 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1974 dollars
What is $100 in 1974 worth today?
$100 in 1974 is worth about $673.92 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 85% of its 1974 purchasing power, so it takes 6.74 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1974. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 49.3 in 1974 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1974?
Cumulative US inflation from 1974 to 2026 is about 573.9%, an average of 3.74% per year over 52 years.
What is $1,000 in 1974 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1974 has the same buying power as about $6,739 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1974?
The US inflation rate in 1974 was 11.0%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1973 (44.4) to 1974 (49.3).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1974). 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.