How to Use the Inflation Calculator
Enter an amount and the year it's from, along with the year you want to compare it to (often today) — the calculator applies historical inflation data between those two years to show the equivalent purchasing power in the target year.
The Inflation Calculator converts a dollar figure across time using historical price data — here's what to enter.
Entering an amount and two years
Enter the original amount, the year it's from, and the year you want to convert it to — the calculator shows the equivalent amount in the target year's purchasing power, working in either direction (past to present, or present to past).
Interpreting the result
The result reflects how the general price level changed between the two years, based on historical inflation data — it's a broad average, not a prediction for how any specific individual item's price changed, since some goods and services rise faster or slower than the general average.