What happened to prices after 1970
Anyone holding $100 in 1970 was heading into the worst inflation of the modern U.S. era. Nixon’s wage and price freeze in August 1971 held prices down only briefly. The 1973 oil embargo roughly quadrupled the price of crude, and inflation hit 12.3% in 1974 and 13.3% in 1979.
Prices doubled in just ten years, from 1970 to 1980. It took Paul Volcker’s Federal Reserve, with interest rates near 20%, to stop it. Prices are now about eight times their 1970 level.
What amounts from 1970 are worth today
| In 1970 | In 2025 | 2025 amount in 1970 |
|---|---|---|
| $1 | $8.14 | $0.12 |
| $5 | $40.72 | $0.61 |
| $10 | $81.43 | $1.23 |
| $20 | $162.86 | $2.46 |
| $50 | $407.16 | $6.14 |
| $100 | $814.32 | $12.28 |
| $500 | $4,071.61 | $61.40 |
| $1,000 | $8,143.22 | $122.80 |
| $5,000 | $40,716.08 | $614.01 |
| $10,000 | $81,432.16 | $1,228.02 |
Read across: $1,000 in 1970 buys what $8,143 did in 2025, and $1,000 in 2025 would have bought what $122.80 did in 1970.
Inflation by decade since 1970
| Decade | Average a year | Prices over the decade |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s (1971–1979) | 7.56% | +92.7% |
| 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 1970: CPI, inflation and the cost of $100 of 1970 goods
| Year | CPI (Dec.) | Inflation | Cost of $100 of 1970 goods |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 39.8 | — | $100.00 |
| 1971 | 41.1 | +3.3% | $103.27 |
| 1972 | 42.5 | +3.4% | $106.78 |
| 1973 | 46.2 | +8.7% | $116.08 |
| 1974 | 51.9 | +12.3% | $130.40 |
| 1975 | 55.5 | +6.9% | $139.45 |
| 1976 | 58.2 | +4.9% | $146.23 |
| 1977 | 62.1 | +6.7% | $156.03 |
| 1978 | 67.7 | +9.0% | $170.10 |
| 1979 | 76.7 | +13.3% | $192.71 |
| 1980 | 86.3 | +12.5% | $216.83 |
| 1981 | 94.0 | +8.9% | $236.18 |
| 1982 | 97.6 | +3.8% | $245.23 |
| 1983 | 101.3 | +3.8% | $254.52 |
| 1984 | 105.3 | +3.9% | $264.57 |
| 1985 | 109.3 | +3.8% | $274.62 |
| 1986 | 110.5 | +1.1% | $277.64 |
| 1987 | 115.4 | +4.4% | $289.95 |
| 1988 | 120.5 | +4.4% | $302.76 |
| 1989 | 126.1 | +4.6% | $316.83 |
| 1990 | 133.8 | +6.1% | $336.18 |
| 1991 | 137.9 | +3.1% | $346.48 |
| 1992 | 141.9 | +2.9% | $356.53 |
| 1993 | 145.8 | +2.7% | $366.33 |
| 1994 | 149.7 | +2.7% | $376.13 |
| 1995 | 153.5 | +2.5% | $385.68 |
| 1996 | 158.6 | +3.3% | $398.49 |
| 1997 | 161.3 | +1.7% | $405.28 |
| 1998 | 163.9 | +1.6% | $411.81 |
| 1999 | 168.3 | +2.7% | $422.86 |
| 2000 | 174.0 | +3.4% | $437.19 |
| 2001 | 176.7 | +1.6% | $443.97 |
| 2002 | 180.9 | +2.4% | $454.52 |
| 2003 | 184.3 | +1.9% | $463.07 |
| 2004 | 190.3 | +3.3% | $478.14 |
| 2005 | 196.8 | +3.4% | $494.47 |
| 2006 | 201.8 | +2.5% | $507.04 |
| 2007 | 210.0 | +4.1% | $527.64 |
| 2008 | 210.2 | +0.1% | $528.14 |
| 2009 | 215.9 | +2.7% | $542.46 |
| 2010 | 219.2 | +1.5% | $550.75 |
| 2011 | 225.7 | +3.0% | $567.09 |
| 2012 | 229.6 | +1.7% | $576.88 |
| 2013 | 233.0 | +1.5% | $585.43 |
| 2014 | 234.8 | +0.8% | $589.95 |
| 2015 | 236.5 | +0.7% | $594.22 |
| 2016 | 241.4 | +2.1% | $606.53 |
| 2017 | 246.5 | +2.1% | $619.35 |
| 2018 | 251.2 | +1.9% | $631.16 |
| 2019 | 257.0 | +2.3% | $645.73 |
| 2020 | 260.5 | +1.4% | $654.52 |
| 2021 | 278.8 | +7.0% | $700.50 |
| 2022 | 296.8 | +6.5% | $745.73 |
| 2023 | 306.7 | +3.3% | $770.60 |
| 2024 | 315.6 | +2.9% | $792.96 |
| 2025 | 324.1 | +2.7% | $814.32 |
How this is calculated
We divide the consumer price index for December 2025 (324.1) by the index for December 1970 (39.8), which gives 8.1432, 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 1970. 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.