How much is a dollar from the year I was born worth today?

Enter your birth year above and the tool converts it using the BLS consumer price index. As a rough guide, a dollar from 1990 is worth roughly two and a half of today's dollars, and a dollar from 1970 is worth well over eight.

Where does this data come from?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U series, which measures prices for all urban consumers and is published back to 1913. Alto embeds the annual averages directly, so the calculation needs no external service.

Why doesn't this match what I remember paying?

The index averages a whole basket of goods across the entire country. Specific items — especially housing, healthcare, and education — have risen much faster than the average, while electronics and clothing have risen far more slowly or fallen outright.

Money & Economy

Then and Now

Pick the year you were born — or any year back to 1913 — and see what that money is worth now.

Jump to a year:

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Pick a year and see what a dollar from then is worth now, alongside how much prices have risen in total since. Everything is calculated from the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, which runs back to 1913.

This measures the general price level across the whole economy, not any single product. Individual items drift from the average constantly — televisions have become far cheaper in real terms while healthcare and university tuition have risen much faster than the index.

What the number actually means

The consumer price index tracks the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services that a typical urban household buys. When the calculation says a 1990 dollar is worth about two and a half of today's, it means it took roughly two and a half times as many dollars to buy that same basket. It is not a statement about any one product's price.

Why your own experience may differ

The index is an average across the whole country and the whole basket. If a large share of your budget goes to rent, childcare, or medical care, your personal inflation rate has almost certainly run above the headline figure for the last two decades. If you own your home outright and mostly buy manufactured goods, it has probably run below.

Annual averages, not exact dates

The figures here are annual averages, so a year is treated as a single point rather than tracked month by month. That is the right resolution for a rough sense of scale across decades, but for a precise calculation between two specific months you want the BLS calculator directly.

Latest Economy News

Then and Now — Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a dollar from the year I was born worth today?: Enter your birth year above and the tool converts it using the BLS consumer price index. As a rough guide, a dollar from 1990 is worth roughly two and a half of today's dollars, and a dollar from 1970 is worth well over eight.
Where does this data come from?: The Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U series, which measures prices for all urban consumers and is published back to 1913. Alto embeds the annual averages directly, so the calculation needs no external service.
Why doesn't this match what I remember paying?: The index averages a whole basket of goods across the entire country. Specific items — especially housing, healthcare, and education — have risen much faster than the average, while electronics and clothing have risen far more slowly or fallen outright.

Explore More

Inflation Calculator Money & Economy Tools All Free Tools