Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers), covering 1970–2026. The 2026 value is a partial-year running average and will be revised as the year completes. Reflects average price changes across a general basket of goods - your personal cost of living may differ.
What is $100 from 1995 worth today?
$100 from 1995 has the same buying power as $217.31 in 2026, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U. Consumer prices rose 117.3% over those 31 years, an average of 2.54% a year, so a dollar today buys what 46 cents bought in 1995.
1995 dollars vs 2026
| Amount | 1995 money in 2026 dollars | 2026 money in 1995 dollars |
|---|---|---|
| $1.00 | $2.17 | $0.46 |
| $20.00 | $43.46 | $9.20 |
| $100 | $217.31 | $46.02 |
| $1,000 | $2,173.1 | $460.17 |
| $10,000 | $21,730.97 | $4,601.73 |
Read the middle column to update an old figure: a $20 bill from 1995 stretches as far as $43.46 does now. Read the right-hand column to go backwards: $1,000 spent in 2026 buys roughly what $460.17 bought in 1995.
Inflation since 1995 in numbers
- Cumulative inflation, 1995 to 2026: 117.3% (CPI-U 152.4 to 331.18).
- Average annual inflation over those 31 years: 2.54%.
- Buying power a 1995 dollar has lost: 54.0%.
- Prices doubled from the 1995 level by 2024, after 29 years.
- Inflation during 1995 itself: 2.83%, after 2.56% in 1994.
- Share of the price rise since 1995 that came in 2020-2026: 40.5%.
Year-by-year CPI around 1995
| Year | CPI-U (annual average) | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 140.3 | 3.01% |
| 1993 | 144.5 | 2.99% |
| 1994 | 148.2 | 2.56% |
| 1995 | 152.4 | 2.83% |
| 1996 | 156.9 | 2.95% |
| 1997 | 160.5 | 2.29% |
| 1998 | 163.0 | 1.56% |
1995 compared with the years around it
Over 1985-1995, prices rose an average of 3.54% a year; in the decade after 1995 (1995-2005) that pace slowed to 2.51%. 1995's own rate of 2.83% sat between the two averages. Between 1990 and 2000, the highest annual rate was 5.40% in 1990 and the lowest was 1.56% in 1998.
What happened to 1995 dollars
1995 falls inside the steadiest stretch in the series: every year from 1992 to 2007 recorded inflation between 1.56% (1998) and 3.39% (2005), and 1995 itself came in at 2.83%. Prices still doubled from their 1995 level by 2024, 29 years later, with the 2021-2023 surge doing much of the late work. Of the 117.3% rise since 1995, 40.5% came after 2020: the 6 years since then added 68% as much to the price level as the 25 years before.
Frequently asked questions
$217.31 in 2026 - prices have risen 117% since 1995, an average of 2.54% a year. Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $46.02 bought in 1995.
2.83%. The CPI-U annual average rose from 148.2 in 1994 to 152.4 in 1995. The following year, 1996, inflation was 2.95%.
Yes. The CPI-U first reached twice its 1995 average of 152.4 in 2024, 29 years later, and prices are now 117.3% higher than in 1995.
Multiply the 1995 amount by the 2026 CPI-U divided by the 1995 CPI-U: 331.18 ÷ 152.4 = 2.1731. The 2026 index is a partial-year average through the latest published month, so 2026 values can shift slightly once the full year is in.
Other years
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Reviewed by Raja Jahangir · Last reviewed: October 2026