$100 in 1920 is worth $86.50 in 1919

Value of $100 from 1920 to 1919

$100 in 1920 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $86.50 in 1919. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 15.61% per year between 1919 and 1920, producing a cumulative price increase of -13.50%.

This means that prices in 1919 are 13.5% lower than average prices since 1920, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.

The inflation rate in 1919 was 14.57%. The inflation rate in 1920 was 15.61%. The 1920 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 2.67% per year between 1920 and 2024.


Inflation from 1920 to 1919
Average inflation rate15.61%
Converted amount
$100 base
$86.50
Price difference
$100 base
$-13.50
CPI in 192020.000
CPI in 191917.300
Inflation in 191914.57%
Inflation in 192015.61%
$100 in 1920$86.50 in 1919

Recent USD inflation
Annual Rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI
Download

Inflation by City

Inflation can vary widely by city, even within the United States. Here's how some cities fared in 1920 to 1919 (figures shown are purchasing power equivalents of $100):

Detroit, Michigan experienced the highest rate of inflation during the 1 years between 1919 and 1920 (21.92%).

San Francisco, California experienced the lowest rate of inflation during the 1 years between 1919 and 1920 (16.00%).

Note that some locations showing 0% inflation may have not yet reported latest data.


Inflation by Country

Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £100.00 in 1920 would be equivalent to £86.56 in 1919, an absolute change of £-13.44 and a cumulative change of -13.44%.

In Canada, CA$100.00 in 1920 would be equivalent to CA$85.99 in 1919, an absolute change of CA$-14.01 and a cumulative change of -14.01%.

Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $-13.50 and total percent change of -13.50%.


Inflation by Spending Category

CPI is the weighted combination of many categories of spending that are tracked by the government. Breaking down these categories helps explain the main drivers behind price changes.

This chart shows the average rate of inflation for select CPI categories between 1920 and 1919.

Compare these values to the overall average of 15.61% per year:

CategoryAvg Inflation (%)Total Inflation (%)$100 in 1919 → 1920
Food and beverages0.000.00100.00
Housing0.000.00100.00
Apparel13.4313.43113.43
Transportation0.000.00100.00
Medical care0.000.00100.00
Recreation0.000.00100.00
Education and communication0.000.00100.00
Other goods and services0.000.00100.00

For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1920. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.



How to calculate inflation rate for $100, 1919 to 1920

Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1919 and 1920:

CPI in 1919 CPI in 1920
×
1920 USD value
=
1919 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 20 in the year 1920 and 17.3 in 1919:

17.320
×
$100
=
$86.50

$100 in 1920 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $86.50 in 1919.

To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1919 and 1920, we use the following formula:

CPI in 1919 - CPI in 1920CPI in 1920
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (1 years)

Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:

17.3 - 2020
×
100
=
-13%

Data source & citation

Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (CPI), established in 1913. Price index data from 1774 to 1912 is sourced from a historical study conducted by political science professor Robert Sahr at Oregon State University and from the American Antiquarian Society. Price index data from 1634 to 1773 is from the American Antiquarian Society, using British pound equivalents.

You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “$100 in 1920 → 1919 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 28 Mar. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/1920-dollars-in-1919?amount=100.

Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.

in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.


Ian Webster

About the author

Ian Webster is an engineer and data expert based in San Mateo, California. He has worked for Google, NASA, and consulted for governments around the world on data pipelines and data analysis. Disappointed by the lack of clear resources on the impacts of inflation on economic indicators, Ian believes this website serves as a valuable public tool. Ian earned his degree in Computer Science from Dartmouth College.

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Inflation from 1920 to 1919
Average inflation rate15.61%
Converted amount
$100 base
$86.50
Price difference
$100 base
$-13.50
CPI in 192020.000
CPI in 191917.300
Inflation in 191914.57%
Inflation in 192015.61%
$100 in 1920$86.50 in 1919