The U.S. dollar has lost 94% its value since 1865
Updated: May 11, 2022
Updated : May 11, 2022 $ 100 in 1865 is equivalent in purchasing office to about $ 1,773.67 today, an addition of $ 1,673.67 over 157 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 1.85 % per year between 1865 and today, producing a accumulative monetary value increase of 1,673.67 % .
This means that nowadays ‘s prices are 17.74 times higher than average prices since 1865, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index. A dollar today alone buys 5.638 % of what it could buy back then .
The inflation rate in 1865 was 3.82 %. The current inflation rate compared to stopping point year is now 8.26 %. If this count holds, $ 100 today will be equivalent in buying power to $ 108.26 next year. The current inflation rate page gives more detail on the latest inflation rates .
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 1,673.67% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.85% |
| Converted amount ( $ 100 base ) | $1,773.67 |
| Price difference ( $ 100 root ) | $1,673.67 |
| CPI in 1865 | 16.300 |
| CPI in 2022 | 289.109 |
| Inflation in 1865 | 3.82% |
| Inflation in 2022 | 8.26% |
| $100 in 1865 | $1,773.67 in 2022 |
USD inflation since 1865
annual Rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI
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Buying power of $100 in 1865
This chart shows a calculation of buying might comparison for $ 100 in 1865 ( price index tracking began in 1635 ) .
For model, if you started with $ 100, you would need to end with $ 1,773.67 in club to “ adjust ” for ostentation ( sometimes refered to as “ beating ostentation ” ) .
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When $ 100 is equivalent to $ 1,773.67 over time, that means that the “ real value ” of a single U.S. dollar decreases over time. In other words, a dollar will pay for fewer items at the memory .
This consequence explains how inflation erodes the value of a dollar over time. By calculating the value in 1865 dollars, the chart below shows how $ 100 is worth less over 157 years .
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, each of these USD amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the clock time :
| Year | Dollar Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1865 | $100.00 | 3.82% |
| 1866 | $97.55 | -2.45% |
| 1867 | $90.80 | -6.92% |
| 1868 | $87.12 | -4.05% |
| 1869 | $83.44 | -4.23% |
| 1870 | $80.37 | -3.68% |
| 1871 | $74.85 | -6.87% |
| 1872 | $74.85 | 0.00% |
| 1873 | $73.62 | -1.64% |
| 1874 | $69.94 | -5.00% |
| 1875 | $67.48 | -3.51% |
| 1876 | $65.64 | -2.73% |
| 1877 | $64.42 | -1.87% |
| 1878 | $61.35 | -4.76% |
| 1879 | $61.35 | 0.00% |
| 1880 | $62.58 | 2.00% |
| 1881 | $62.58 | 0.00% |
| 1882 | $62.58 | 0.00% |
| 1883 | $61.96 | -0.98% |
| 1884 | $60.12 | -2.97% |
| 1885 | $59.51 | -1.02% |
| 1886 | $57.67 | -3.09% |
| 1887 | $58.28 | 1.06% |
| 1888 | $58.28 | 0.00% |
| 1889 | $56.44 | -3.16% |
| 1890 | $55.83 | -1.09% |
| 1891 | $55.83 | 0.00% |
| 1892 | $55.83 | 0.00% |
| 1893 | $55.21 | -1.10% |
| 1894 | $52.76 | -4.44% |
| 1895 | $51.53 | -2.33% |
| 1896 | $51.53 | 0.00% |
| 1897 | $50.92 | -1.19% |
| 1898 | $50.92 | 0.00% |
| 1899 | $50.92 | 0.00% |
| 1900 | $51.53 | 1.20% |
| 1901 | $52.15 | 1.19% |
| 1902 | $52.76 | 1.18% |
| 1903 | $53.99 | 2.33% |
| 1904 | $54.60 | 1.14% |
| 1905 | $53.99 | -1.12% |
| 1906 | $55.21 | 2.27% |
| 1907 | $57.67 | 4.44% |
| 1908 | $56.44 | -2.13% |
| 1909 | $55.83 | -1.09% |
| 1910 | $58.28 | 4.40% |
| 1911 | $58.28 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | $59.51 | 2.11% |
| 1913 | $60.74 | 2.06% |
| 1914 | $61.35 | 1.01% |
| 1915 | $61.96 | 1.00% |
| 1916 | $66.87 | 7.92% |
| 1917 | $78.53 | 17.43% |
| 1918 | $92.64 | 17.97% |
| 1919 | $106.13 | 14.57% |
| 1920 | $122.70 | 15.61% |
| 1921 | $109.82 | -10.50% |
| 1922 | $103.07 | -6.15% |
| 1923 | $104.91 | 1.79% |
| 1924 | $104.91 | 0.00% |
| 1925 | $107.36 | 2.34% |
| 1926 | $108.59 | 1.14% |
| 1927 | $106.75 | -1.69% |
| 1928 | $104.91 | -1.72% |
| 1929 | $104.91 | 0.00% |
| 1930 | $102.45 | -2.34% |
| 1931 | $93.25 | -8.98% |
| 1932 | $84.05 | -9.87% |
| 1933 | $79.75 | -5.11% |
| 1934 | $82.21 | 3.08% |
| 1935 | $84.05 | 2.24% |
| 1936 | $85.28 | 1.46% |
| 1937 | $88.34 | 3.60% |
| 1938 | $86.50 | -2.08% |
| 1939 | $85.28 | -1.42% |
| 1940 | $85.89 | 0.72% |
| 1941 | $90.18 | 5.00% |
| 1942 | $100.00 | 10.88% |
| 1943 | $106.13 | 6.13% |
| 1944 | $107.98 | 1.73% |
| 1945 | $110.43 | 2.27% |
| 1946 | $119.63 | 8.33% |
| 1947 | $136.81 | 14.36% |
| 1948 | $147.85 | 8.07% |
| 1949 | $146.01 | -1.24% |
| 1950 | $147.85 | 1.26% |
| 1951 | $159.51 | 7.88% |
| 1952 | $162.58 | 1.92% |
| 1953 | $163.80 | 0.75% |
| 1954 | $165.03 | 0.75% |
| 1955 | $164.42 | -0.37% |
| 1956 | $166.87 | 1.49% |
| 1957 | $172.39 | 3.31% |
| 1958 | $177.30 | 2.85% |
| 1959 | $178.53 | 0.69% |
| 1960 | $181.60 | 1.72% |
| 1961 | $183.44 | 1.01% |
| 1962 | $185.28 | 1.00% |
| 1963 | $187.73 | 1.32% |
| 1964 | $190.18 | 1.31% |
| 1965 | $193.25 | 1.61% |
| 1966 | $198.77 | 2.86% |
| 1967 | $204.91 | 3.09% |
| 1968 | $213.50 | 4.19% |
| 1969 | $225.15 | 5.46% |
| 1970 | $238.04 | 5.72% |
| 1971 | $248.47 | 4.38% |
| 1972 | $256.44 | 3.21% |
| 1973 | $272.39 | 6.22% |
| 1974 | $302.45 | 11.04% |
| 1975 | $330.06 | 9.13% |
| 1976 | $349.08 | 5.76% |
| 1977 | $371.78 | 6.50% |
| 1978 | $400.00 | 7.59% |
| 1979 | $445.40 | 11.35% |
| 1980 | $505.52 | 13.50% |
| 1981 | $557.67 | 10.32% |
| 1982 | $592.02 | 6.16% |
| 1983 | $611.04 | 3.21% |
| 1984 | $637.42 | 4.32% |
| 1985 | $660.12 | 3.56% |
| 1986 | $672.39 | 1.86% |
| 1987 | $696.93 | 3.65% |
| 1988 | $725.77 | 4.14% |
| 1989 | $760.74 | 4.82% |
| 1990 | $801.84 | 5.40% |
| 1991 | $835.58 | 4.21% |
| 1992 | $860.74 | 3.01% |
| 1993 | $886.50 | 2.99% |
| 1994 | $909.20 | 2.56% |
| 1995 | $934.97 | 2.83% |
| 1996 | $962.58 | 2.95% |
| 1997 | $984.66 | 2.29% |
| 1998 | $1,000.00 | 1.56% |
| 1999 | $1,022.09 | 2.21% |
| 2000 | $1,056.44 | 3.36% |
| 2001 | $1,086.50 | 2.85% |
| 2002 | $1,103.68 | 1.58% |
| 2003 | $1,128.83 | 2.28% |
| 2004 | $1,158.90 | 2.66% |
| 2005 | $1,198.16 | 3.39% |
| 2006 | $1,236.81 | 3.23% |
| 2007 | $1,272.04 | 2.85% |
| 2008 | $1,320.88 | 3.84% |
| 2009 | $1,316.18 | -0.36% |
| 2010 | $1,337.77 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $1,379.99 | 3.16% |
| 2012 | $1,408.55 | 2.07% |
| 2013 | $1,429.18 | 1.46% |
| 2014 | $1,452.37 | 1.62% |
| 2015 | $1,454.09 | 0.12% |
| 2016 | $1,472.44 | 1.26% |
| 2017 | $1,503.80 | 2.13% |
| 2018 | $1,541.29 | 2.49% |
| 2019 | $1,568.45 | 1.76% |
| 2020 | $1,587.80 | 1.23% |
| 2021 | $1,662.39 | 4.70% |
| 2022 | $1,773.67 | 6.69%* |
* Compared to previous annual rate. Not final. See * Compared to previous annual rate. not final examination. See ostentation drumhead for latest 12-month trailing value. Click to show 151 more rows
This conversion table shows respective other 1865 amounts in today ‘s dollars, based on the 1,673.67 % change in prices :
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
|
$1 dollar in 1865 |
$17.74 dollars nowadays |
|
$5 dollars in 1865 |
$88.68 dollars today |
|
$10 dollars in 1865 |
$177.37 dollars today |
|
$50 dollars in 1865 |
$886.84 dollars today |
|
$100 dollars in 1865 |
$1,773.67 dollars today |
|
$500 dollars in 1865 |
$8,868.37 dollars today |
|
$1,000 dollars in 1865 |
$17,736.75 dollars nowadays |
|
$5,000 dollars in 1865 |
$88,683.74 dollars today |
|
$10,000 dollars in 1865 |
$177,367.48 dollars today |
|
$50,000 dollars in 1865 |
$886,837.42 dollars today |
|
$100,000 dollars in 1865 |
$1,773,674.85 dollars today |
|
$500,000 dollars in 1865 |
$8,868,374.23 dollars today |
|
$1,000,000 dollars in 1865 |
$17,736,748.47 dollars nowadays |
Inflation by Country
inflation can besides vary wide by country. For comparison, in the UK £100.00 in 1865 would be equivalent to £13,387.50 in 2022, an absolute change of £13,287.50 and a accumulative transfer of 13,287.50 % .
Compare these numbers to the US ‘s overall absolute change of $ 1,673.67 and full percentage change of 1,673.67 %.
Inflation by Spending Category
CPI is the weighted combination of many categories of outgo that are tracked by the government. Breaking down these categories helps explain the main drivers behind price changes .
This chart shows the average rate of inflation for choose CPI categories between 1865 and 2022 .
Compare these values to the overall average of 1.85 % per class :
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $100 in 1865 → 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and beverages | 3.94 | 42,838.20 | 42,938.20 |
| Housing | 4.18 | 61,795.10 | 61,895.10 |
| Apparel | 1.99 | 2,089.88 | 2,189.88 |
| Transportation | 3.39 | 18,664.57 | 18,764.57 |
| Medical care | 4.66 | 128,220.23 | 128,320.23 |
| Recreation | 1.22 | 568.49 | 668.49 |
| Education and communication | 1.80 | 1,557.69 | 1,657.69 |
| Other goods and services | 4.94 | 192,973.39 | 193,073.39 |
The graph below compares inflation in categories of goods over clock. Click on a category such as “ Food ” to toggle it on or off :
For all these visualizations, it ‘s important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1865. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category .
How to calculate inflation rate for $100 since 1865
Our calculations use the postdate inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1865 and today :
CPI today
CPI in 1865
×
1865 USD value
=
today ‘s value
then plug in diachronic CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 16.3 in the year 1865 and 289.109 in 2022 :
289.109
16.3
×
$ 100
=
$1,773.67
$ 100 in 1865 has the lapp “ purchasing ability ” or “ buying ability ” as $ 1,773.67 in 2022 .
To get the total inflation rate for the 157 years between 1865 and 2022, we use the come formula :
CPI in 2022 – CPI in 1865
CPI in 1865
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (157 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get :
289.109 – 16.3
16.3
×
100
=
1,674%
Data source & citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics ‘ Consumer Price Index ( CPI ), established in 1913. Inflation data from 1634 to 1912 is sourced from a diachronic learn conducted by political skill professor Robert Sahr at Oregon State University and from the american english Antiquarian Society .
You may use the come MLA citation for this page : “ Value of 1865 dollars today | Inflation Calculator. ” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 21 May. 2022, hypertext transfer protocol : //www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1865 .
special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
Read more: Coin rotation paradox – Wikipedia
in2013dollars.com is a mention web site maintained by the Official Data Foundation .
About the author
Ian Webster is an engineer and data expert based in San Mateo, California. He has worked for Google, NASA, and consulted for governments around the world on data pipelines and data analysis. Disappointed by the miss of clear resources on the impacts of inflation on economic indicators, Ian believes this web site serves as a valuable public tool. Ian earned his degree in Computer Science from Dartmouth College .
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