Consumer Price Index (Estimate) 1800-2008

Source:
Handbook of Labor Statistics
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics

Indexes from 1800 to 1912 and 2008 estimated by splicing the following series:

• 1800 to 1851 - Index of Prices Paid by Vermont Farmers for Family Living;
• 1851 to 1890 - Consumer Price Index by Ethel D. Hoover;
• 1890 to 1912 - Cost of Living Index by Albert Rees;
• 2009 - An estimate for 2009 is based on the change in the CPI from fourth quarter 2007 to fourth quarter 2008.

To calculate the change in prices, use the formula from the example below:

What is $1 in 1850 worth in 2009?

2009 Price = 1850 Price x (2009 CPI / 1850 CPI)
2009 Price = $1 x (654.1 / 25)
2009 Price = $26.16

$1 in 1850 is worth $26.16 in 2009.

CPI-U
1967 = 100

Year Annual Average Annual Percent Change (rate of inflation) 1800 51 -- 1801 50 -2.0 1802 43 -14.0 1803 45 4.7 1804 45 0.0 1805 45 0.0 1806 47 4.4 1807 44 -6.4 1808 48 9.1 1809 47 -2.1 1810 47 0.0 1811 50 6.4 1812 51 2.0 1813 58 13.7 1814 63 8.6 1815 55 -12.7 1816 51 -7.3 1817 48 -5.9 1818 46 -4.2 1819 46 0.0 1820 42 -8.7 1821 40 -4.8 1822 40 0.0 1823 36 -10.0 1824 33 -8.3 1825 34 3.0 1826 34 0.0 1827 34 0.0 1828 33 -2.9 1829 32 -3.0 1830 32 0.0 1831 32 0.0 1832 30 -6.3 1833 29 -3.3 1834 30 3.4 1835 31 3.3 1836 33 6.5 1837 34 3.0 1838 32 -5.9 1839 32 0.0 1840 30 -6.3 1841 31 3.3 1842 29 -6.5 1843 28 -3.4 1844 28 0.0 1845 28 0.0 1846 27 -3.6 1847 28 3.7 1848 26 -7.1 1849 25 -3.8 1850 25 0.0 1851 25 0.0 1852 25 0.0 1853 25 0.0 1854 27 8.0 1855 28 3.7 1856 27 -3.6 1857 28 3.7 1858 26 -7.1 1859 27 3.8 1860 27 0.0 1861 27 0.0 1862 30 11.1 1863 37 23.3 1864 47 27.0 1865 46 -2.1 1866 44 -4.3 1867 42 -4.5 1868 40 -4.8 1869 40 0.0 1870 38 -5.0 1871 36 -5.3 1872 36 0.0 1873 36 0.0 1874 34 -5.6 1875 33 -2.9 1876 32 -3.0 1877 32 0.0 1878 29 -9.4 1879 28 -3.4 1880 29 3.6 1881 29 0.0 1882 29 0.0 1883 28 -3.4 1884 27 -3.6 1885 27 0.0 1886 27 0.0 1887 27 0.0 1888 27 0.0 1889 27 0.0 1890 27 0.0 1891 27 0.0 1892 27 0.0 1893 27 0.0 1894 26 -3.7 1895 25 -3.8 1896 25 0.0 1897 25 0.0 1898 25 0.0 1899 25 0.0 1900 25 0.0 1901 25 0.0 1902 26 4.0 1903 27 3.8 1904 27 0.0 1905 27 0.0 1906 27 0.0 1907 28 3.7 1908 27 -3.6 1909 27 0.0 1910 28 3.7 1911 28 0.0 1912 29 3.6 1913 29.7 2.4 1914 30.1 1.3 1915 30.4 1.0 1916 32.7 7.6 1917 38.4 17.4 1918 45.1 17.4 1919 51.8 14.9 1920 60.0 15.8 1921 53.6 -10.7 1922 50.2 -6.3 1923 51.1 1.8 1924 51.2 0.2 1925 52.5 2.5 1926 53.0 1.0 1927 52.0 -1.9 1928 51.3 -1.3 1929 51.3 0.0 1930 50.0 -2.5 1931 45.6 -8.8 1932 40.9 -10.3 1933 38.8 -5.1 1934 40.1 3.4 1935 41.1 2.5 1936 41.5 1.0 1937 43.0 3.6 1938 42.2 -1.9 1939 41.6 -1.4 1940 42.0 1.0 1941 44.1 5.0 1942 48.8 10.7 1943 51.8 6.1 1944 52.7 1.7 1945 53.9 2.3 1946 58.5 8.5 1947 66.9 14.4 1948 72.1 7.8 1949 71.4 -1.0 1950 72.1 1.0 1951 77.8 7.9 1952 79.5 2.2 1953 80.1 0.8 1954 80.5 0.5 1955 80.2 -0.4 1956 81.4 1.5 1957 84.3 3.6 1958 86.6 2.7 1959 87.3 0.8 1960 88.7 1.6 1961 89.6 1.0 1962 90.6 1.1 1963 91.7 1.2 1964 92.9 1.3 1965 94.5 1.7 1966 97.2 2.9 1967 100.0 2.9 1968 104.2 4.2 1969 109.8 5.4 1970 116.3 5.9 1971 121.3 4.3 1972 125.3 3.3 1973 133.1 6.2 1974 147.7 11.0 1975 161.2 9.1 1976 170.5 5.8 1977 181.5 6.5 1978 195.4 7.7 1979 217.4 11.3 1980 246.8 13.5 1981 272.4 10.4 1982 289.1 6.1 1983 298.4 3.2 1984 311.1 4.3 1985 322.2 3.6 1986 328.4 1.8 1987 340.4 3.6 1988 354.3 4.1 1989 371.3 4.8 1990 391.4 5.4 1991 408.0 4.2 1992 420.3 3.0 1993 432.7 3.0 1994 444.0 2.2 1995 456.5 2.8 1996 469.9 2.9 1997 480.8 2.3 1998 488.3 1.6 1999 499.1 2.2 2000 515.8 3.4 2001 530.1 2.8 2002 538.8 1.6 2003 551.0 2.3 2004 565.7 2.7 2005 584.8 3.4 2006 603.5 3.2 2007 620.7 2.9 2008 644.3 3.8  2009* 654.1 1.5

*An estimate for 2009 is based on the change in the CPI from fourth quarter 2007 to fourth quarter 2008.