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Inflation Calculator

Compare historical US purchasing power or model a future cost using your own inflation assumption.

Your numbers

Make it your own
Updates as you type
Equivalent US purchasing-power amount
$186.96

USD · rounded to the nearest cent

Price-level change86.9588%
Starting annual CPI-U172.2
Ending annual CPI-U321.943

BLS CPI-U, US city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted, annual M13 values; 1982–84=100. Snapshot checked October 24, 2026; last complete annual value is 2025. Published 2025 average includes the BLS treatment of missing October data. No 2026 annual forecast is substituted.

Your calculation, step by step

No black boxes
  1. 100 × 321.943 / 172.2 = 186.958769.

What if things were different?

Save up to three scenarios, then change your inputs to compare the possibilities.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter your own values in the labeled fields. Check the units and assumptions before comparing results. Only the fields needed for your selected calculation mode are shown.
  2. Your answer updates automatically. Review the calculation steps to see exactly how it was calculated.
  3. Copy, share, save, or download your result. Saved inputs stay on this device.

How the calculation works

Historical equivalent = amount × CPI(to) / CPI(from); scenario = amount × (1+r)^t

Historical mode uses a bundled BLS CPI-U annual-average snapshot for 1913–2025, US city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted. The custom scenario is separate and does not claim to be a forecast. Values are not fetched on each input. Review the units, period and assumptions before comparing scenarios. Displayed values are rounded, while the underlying calculation retains its available precision.

A worked example

$100 in 2000 corresponds to 100 × 321.943 / 172.2 = about $186.96 at the published 2025 annual price level.

Reading your result

Use the main result together with its units and supporting figures. Display values are rounded; calculations keep their underlying precision. A change in inputs or assumptions can change the answer. Compare the step-by-step working with your intended use before relying on an estimate.

Frequently asked questions

What assumptions does this calculation use?

Historical mode uses a bundled BLS CPI-U annual-average snapshot for 1913–2025, US city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted. The custom scenario is separate and does not claim to be a forecast. Values are not fetched on each input.

Can I save or check a scenario?

The result includes the working and supporting values. Save and Restore keep inputs on this device; Copy, Download and Print export the result. Sharing a scenario explicitly includes the inputs in its link.

Sources & methodology

BLS: published CPI-U series ↗

Formula review: October 24, 2026. Read our methodology.