What happened to prices after 1950
1950 was the start of the long postwar boom. The Korean War began that June, and fear of shortages sent prices up 5.9% that year and 6.0% in 1951. Over the rest of the decade, 1951 to 1959, prices rose just 1.8% a year. Prices fell only once more, by 0.7% in 1954, and haven’t fallen in a calendar year since.
Most of the 13-fold rise since then came later. The 1970s averaged 7.4% a year, with 13.3% in 1979 and 12.5% in 1980. The recent surge, 7.0% in 2021 and 6.5% in 2022, was sharp but short by comparison.
What amounts from 1950 are worth today
| In 1950 | In 2025 | 2025 amount in 1950 |
|---|---|---|
| $1 | $12.96 | $0.08 |
| $5 | $64.82 | $0.39 |
| $10 | $129.64 | $0.77 |
| $20 | $259.28 | $1.54 |
| $50 | $648.20 | $3.86 |
| $100 | $1,296.40 | $7.71 |
| $500 | $6,482.00 | $38.57 |
| $1,000 | $12,964.00 | $77.14 |
| $5,000 | $64,820.00 | $385.68 |
| $10,000 | $129,640.00 | $771.37 |
Read across: $1,000 in 1950 buys what $12,964 did in 2025, and $1,000 in 2025 would have bought what $77.14 did in 1950.
Inflation by decade since 1950
| Decade | Average a year | Prices over the decade |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s (1951–1959) | 1.82% | +17.6% |
| 1960s | 2.52% | +28.2% |
| 1970s | 7.36% | +103.4% |
| 1980s | 5.10% | +64.4% |
| 1990s | 2.93% | +33.5% |
| 2000s | 2.52% | +28.3% |
| 2010s | 1.76% | +19.0% |
| 2020s (2020–2025) | 3.94% | +26.1% |
Every year since 1950: CPI, inflation and the cost of $100 of 1950 goods
| Year | CPI (Dec.) | Inflation | Cost of $100 of 1950 goods |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 25.0 | — | $100.00 |
| 1951 | 26.5 | +6.0% | $106.00 |
| 1952 | 26.7 | +0.8% | $106.80 |
| 1953 | 26.9 | +0.7% | $107.60 |
| 1954 | 26.7 | −0.7% | $106.80 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | +0.4% | $107.20 |
| 1956 | 27.6 | +3.0% | $110.40 |
| 1957 | 28.4 | +2.9% | $113.60 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | +1.8% | $115.60 |
| 1959 | 29.4 | +1.7% | $117.60 |
| 1960 | 29.8 | +1.4% | $119.20 |
| 1961 | 30.0 | +0.7% | $120.00 |
| 1962 | 30.4 | +1.3% | $121.60 |
| 1963 | 30.9 | +1.6% | $123.60 |
| 1964 | 31.2 | +1.0% | $124.80 |
| 1965 | 31.8 | +1.9% | $127.20 |
| 1966 | 32.9 | +3.5% | $131.60 |
| 1967 | 33.9 | +3.0% | $135.60 |
| 1968 | 35.5 | +4.7% | $142.00 |
| 1969 | 37.7 | +6.2% | $150.80 |
| 1970 | 39.8 | +5.6% | $159.20 |
| 1971 | 41.1 | +3.3% | $164.40 |
| 1972 | 42.5 | +3.4% | $170.00 |
| 1973 | 46.2 | +8.7% | $184.80 |
| 1974 | 51.9 | +12.3% | $207.60 |
| 1975 | 55.5 | +6.9% | $222.00 |
| 1976 | 58.2 | +4.9% | $232.80 |
| 1977 | 62.1 | +6.7% | $248.40 |
| 1978 | 67.7 | +9.0% | $270.80 |
| 1979 | 76.7 | +13.3% | $306.80 |
| 1980 | 86.3 | +12.5% | $345.20 |
| 1981 | 94.0 | +8.9% | $376.00 |
| 1982 | 97.6 | +3.8% | $390.40 |
| 1983 | 101.3 | +3.8% | $405.20 |
| 1984 | 105.3 | +3.9% | $421.20 |
| 1985 | 109.3 | +3.8% | $437.20 |
| 1986 | 110.5 | +1.1% | $442.00 |
| 1987 | 115.4 | +4.4% | $461.60 |
| 1988 | 120.5 | +4.4% | $482.00 |
| 1989 | 126.1 | +4.6% | $504.40 |
| 1990 | 133.8 | +6.1% | $535.20 |
| 1991 | 137.9 | +3.1% | $551.60 |
| 1992 | 141.9 | +2.9% | $567.60 |
| 1993 | 145.8 | +2.7% | $583.20 |
| 1994 | 149.7 | +2.7% | $598.80 |
| 1995 | 153.5 | +2.5% | $614.00 |
| 1996 | 158.6 | +3.3% | $634.40 |
| 1997 | 161.3 | +1.7% | $645.20 |
| 1998 | 163.9 | +1.6% | $655.60 |
| 1999 | 168.3 | +2.7% | $673.20 |
| 2000 | 174.0 | +3.4% | $696.00 |
| 2001 | 176.7 | +1.6% | $706.80 |
| 2002 | 180.9 | +2.4% | $723.60 |
| 2003 | 184.3 | +1.9% | $737.20 |
| 2004 | 190.3 | +3.3% | $761.20 |
| 2005 | 196.8 | +3.4% | $787.20 |
| 2006 | 201.8 | +2.5% | $807.20 |
| 2007 | 210.0 | +4.1% | $840.00 |
| 2008 | 210.2 | +0.1% | $840.80 |
| 2009 | 215.9 | +2.7% | $863.60 |
| 2010 | 219.2 | +1.5% | $876.80 |
| 2011 | 225.7 | +3.0% | $902.80 |
| 2012 | 229.6 | +1.7% | $918.40 |
| 2013 | 233.0 | +1.5% | $932.00 |
| 2014 | 234.8 | +0.8% | $939.20 |
| 2015 | 236.5 | +0.7% | $946.00 |
| 2016 | 241.4 | +2.1% | $965.60 |
| 2017 | 246.5 | +2.1% | $986.00 |
| 2018 | 251.2 | +1.9% | $1,004.80 |
| 2019 | 257.0 | +2.3% | $1,028.00 |
| 2020 | 260.5 | +1.4% | $1,042.00 |
| 2021 | 278.8 | +7.0% | $1,115.20 |
| 2022 | 296.8 | +6.5% | $1,187.20 |
| 2023 | 306.7 | +3.3% | $1,226.80 |
| 2024 | 315.6 | +2.9% | $1,262.40 |
| 2025 | 324.1 | +2.7% | $1,296.40 |
How this is calculated
We divide the consumer price index for December 2025 (324.1) by the index for December 1950 (25.0), which gives 12.9640, and multiply. Each year’s inflation runs December to December. December figures follow prices to the end of each year, so they can differ slightly from tables that use yearly averages. The index measures an average urban household’s spending; your own costs can rise faster or slower.
For what the stock market did over the same years, see S&P 500 returns since 1950. Every figure here comes from the same data as the inflation calculator. The method is on the methodology page.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items, December values.