Consumer Price Index (Estimate) 1800-
Source:
Handbook of Labor Statistics
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Indexes from 1800 to 1912 and 2015 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;
- 1890 to 2014 - Consumer Price Index;
- 2015 - An estimate for 2015 is based on the change in the CPI from second quarter 2014 to second quarter 2015.
To calculate the change in prices, use the formula from the example below:
What is $1 in 1850 worth in 2015?
2015 Price = 1850 Price x (2015 CPI / 1850 CPI)
2015 Price = $1 x (711.1 / 25)
2015 Price = $28.45
$1 in 1850 is worth $28.45 in 2015.
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
|
0.9%
|
|
1916
|
32.7
|
7.7%
|
|
1917
|
38.5
|
17.8%
|
|
1918
|
45.2
|
17.3%
|
|
1919
|
52.1
|
15.2%
|
|
1920
|
60.2
|
15.6%
|
|
1921
|
53.6
|
-10.9%
|
|
1922
|
50.3
|
-6.2%
|
|
1923
|
51.2
|
1.8%
|
|
1924
|
51.5
|
0.4%
|
|
1925
|
52.7
|
2.4%
|
|
1926
|
53.2
|
0.9%
|
|
1927
|
52.2
|
-1.9%
|
|
1928
|
51.6
|
-1.2%
|
|
1929
|
51.6
|
0.0%
|
|
1930
|
50.2
|
-2.7%
|
|
1931
|
45.7
|
-8.9%
|
|
1932
|
41.0
|
-10.3%
|
|
1933
|
38.9
|
-5.2%
|
|
1934
|
40.2
|
3.5%
|
|
1935
|
41.2
|
2.6%
|
|
1936
|
41.7
|
1.0%
|
|
1937
|
43.2
|
3.7%
|
|
1938
|
42.3
|
-2.0%
|
|
1939
|
41.8
|
-1.3%
|
|
1940
|
42.1
|
0.7%
|
|
1941
|
44.2
|
5.1%
|
|
1942
|
49.1
|
10.9%
|
|
1943
|
52.0
|
6.0%
|
|
1944
|
52.9
|
1.6%
|
|
1945
|
54.1
|
2.3%
|
|
1946
|
58.6
|
8.5%
|
|
1947
|
67.1
|
14.4%
|
|
1948
|
72.2
|
7.7%
|
|
1949
|
71.5
|
-1.0%
|
|
1950
|
72.3
|
1.1%
|
|
1951
|
78.0
|
7.9%
|
|
1952
|
79.8
|
2.3%
|
|
1953
|
80.4
|
0.8%
|
|
1954
|
80.7
|
0.3%
|
|
1955
|
80.5
|
-0.3%
|
|
1956
|
81.7
|
1.5%
|
|
1957
|
84.4
|
3.3%
|
|
1958
|
86.7
|
2.7%
|
|
1959
|
87.6
|
1.0%
|
|
1960
|
88.9
|
1.5%
|
|
1961
|
89.8
|
1.1%
|
|
1962
|
90.9
|
1.2%
|
|
1963
|
92.0
|
1.2%
|
|
1964
|
93.2
|
1.3%
|
|
1965
|
94.7
|
1.6%
|
|
1966
|
97.5
|
3.0%
|
|
1967
|
100.2
|
2.8%
|
|
1968
|
104.5
|
4.3%
|
|
1969
|
110.2
|
5.5%
|
|
1970
|
116.7
|
5.8%
|
|
1971
|
121.7
|
4.3%
|
|
1972
|
125.7
|
3.3%
|
|
1973
|
133.4
|
6.2%
|
|
1974
|
148.2
|
11.1%
|
|
1975
|
161.7
|
9.1%
|
|
1976
|
171.0
|
5.7%
|
|
1977
|
182.1
|
6.5%
|
|
1978
|
196.0
|
7.6%
|
|
1979
|
218.1
|
11.3%
|
|
1980
|
247.6
|
13.5%
|
|
1981
|
273.2
|
10.3%
|
|
1982
|
290.0
|
6.1%
|
|
1983
|
299.3
|
3.2%
|
|
1984
|
312.2
|
4.3%
|
|
1985
|
323.2
|
3.5%
|
|
1986
|
329.4
|
1.9%
|
|
1987
|
341.4
|
3.7%
|
|
1988
|
355.4
|
4.1%
|
|
1989
|
372.5
|
4.8%
|
|
1990
|
392.6
|
5.4%
|
|
1991
|
409.3
|
4.2%
|
|
1992
|
421.7
|
3.0%
|
|
1993
|
434.1
|
3.0%
|
|
1994
|
445.4
|
2.6%
|
|
1995
|
457.9
|
2.8%
|
|
1996
|
471.3
|
2.9%
|
|
1997
|
482.4
|
2.3%
|
|
1998
|
489.8
|
1.6%
|
|
1999
|
500.6
|
2.2%
|
|
2000
|
517.5
|
3.4%
|
|
2001
|
532.1
|
2.8%
|
|
2002
|
540.5
|
1.6%
|
|
2003
|
552.8
|
2.3%
|
|
2004
|
567.6
|
2.7%
|
|
2005
|
586.9
|
3.4%
|
|
2006
|
605.8
|
3.2%
|
|
2007
|
623.1
|
2.9%
|
|
2008
|
647.0
|
3.8%
|
|
2009
|
644.7
|
-0.4%
|
|
2010
|
655.3
|
1.6%
|
|
2011
|
676.0
|
3.2%
|
|
2012
|
689.9
|
2.1%
|
|
2013
|
700.0
|
1.5%
|
|
2014
|
711.4
|
1.6%
|
|
2015*
|
711.1
|
0.0%
|
*An estimate for 2015 is based on the change in the CPI from second quarter 2014 to second quarter 2015.
