$100 in 1976 has the same buying power as about $583.91 in 2026. Prices rose 483.9% over 50 years, an average of 3.59% per year, and the dollar lost about 83% of its 1976 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1976- Cumulative inflation
- 483.9%
- Average per year
- 3.59%
- Inflation rate in 1976
- 5.8%
- CPI-U 1976 → 2026
- 56.9 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×5.839
On the time scale
1976 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1976 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 1976 was 5.8%, the 22nd 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 1976 level in 1988, 12 years later.
Read more: The 1970s stagflation
1976 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1976 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $5.84 |
| $5 | $29.20 |
| $10 | $58.39 |
| $20 | $116.78 |
| $50 | $291.95 |
| $100 | $583.91 |
| $500 | $2,920 |
| $1,000 | $5,839 |
| $10,000 | $58,391 |
| $100,000 | $583,907 |
Value of $100 from 1976, year by year
What $100 from 1976 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1976 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | $100 | 5.8% |
| 1977 | $106.50 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $114.59 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $127.59 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $144.82 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $159.75 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $169.60 | 6.2% |
| 1983 | $175.04 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $182.60 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $189.10 | 3.6% |
| 1986 | $192.62 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $199.65 | 3.6% |
| 1988 | $207.91 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $217.93 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $229.70 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $239.37 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $246.57 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $253.95 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $260.46 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $267.84 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $275.75 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $282.07 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $286.47 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $292.79 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $302.64 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $311.25 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $316.17 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $323.37 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $331.99 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $343.23 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $354.31 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $364.40 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $378.39 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $377.04 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $383.23 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $395.32 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $403.50 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $409.41 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $416.06 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $416.55 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $421.80 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $430.79 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $441.31 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $449.31 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $454.85 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $476.22 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $514.33 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $535.50 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $551.30 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $565.80 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $583.91 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1976 dollars
What is $100 in 1976 worth today?
$100 in 1976 is worth about $583.91 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 83% of its 1976 purchasing power, so it takes 5.84 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1976. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 56.9 in 1976 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1976?
Cumulative US inflation from 1976 to 2026 is about 483.9%, an average of 3.59% per year over 50 years.
What is $1,000 in 1976 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1976 has the same buying power as about $5,839 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1976?
The US inflation rate in 1976 was 5.8%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1975 (53.8) to 1976 (56.9).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1976). 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.