Try the Inflation Calculator
Enter an amount and a year to see what it's worth today, or what today's dollar was worth back then, using real annual US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) data.
- Free to use
- No signup
- Nothing to install
- Runs in your browser
Illustration. Open the tool for the real thing.
What is the Inflation Calculator?
Enter an amount and a starting year, and this calculator converts it to today's dollars using the real annual US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), the same index the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes and the one most inflation calculators and news articles are built on. It covers every year from 1913, when the modern CPI series begins, through the most recent available annual figure.
You can also run it in reverse: enter an amount in today's dollars and a target year to see what it was equivalent to back then. The math is simple once you have real CPI values for both years: target amount = original amount x (CPI in target year / CPI in original year) — this tool just saves you from tracking down the actual historical index numbers yourself.
3 steps to your result
Open the tool and follow along. Nothing to install.
What you get
Not a flat average inflation rate — uses the actual published index value for each year.
Convert an old amount to today's value, or today's value back to a past year.
See the total percentage change between the two years, not just the converted amount.
Clearly labeled so you know exactly which index and currency the result is based on.
AZRS tools are free to open and use.
It opens in your browser, so there is nothing to download.
Used for
Pick one to see how it fits.
Anyone comparing an old salary, price or bill to today
See whether a historical figure was actually a lot of money in real terms.
Try it freeStudents and writers
Put a historical price or wage in an article or essay into honest modern context.
Try it freeFamily history and genealogy researchers
Understand what an ancestor's income or a historical purchase actually meant at the time.
Try it freeHow it compares
A plain look at this tool next to the usual alternative.
| This calculator | Desktop software | |
|---|---|---|
| Install | Nothing to install | Usually an app or program to install |
| Account | No signup | Depends on the product |
| Cost | Free to use | Free or paid, depends on the product |
| Where it runs | In your browser tab | On your computer |
Questions people ask
What data does this use?
The official annual US Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the same headline inflation index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and used by most inflation calculators and journalists.
How far back does it go?
Back to 1913, when the modern CPI series begins, through the most recent available annual figure.
Can I convert other currencies?
No, this is specifically a US-dollar, CPI-U based calculator; other countries publish their own separate price indexes with different histories.
Why is my result different from another inflation calculator I've used?
Small differences are normal between calculators depending on whether they use CPI-U, CPI-W, chained CPI, or annual-average versus specific-month figures — this tool uses annual CPI-U, the most commonly cited version.
Does this account for taxes or interest, not just prices?
No, it purely reflects the change in general price levels (purchasing power), not investment returns, wages, or taxes.
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Try the Inflation Calculator now
See what an amount of money from any year since 1913 is worth today, using real US CPI. Free to use.
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