Inflation Calculator
👉 You may be interested in Inflation from 1998 to 2018
U.S. Inflation Rate, $100 in 1998 to 2015
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, the dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 2.23% per year. Prices in 2015 are 45.41% higher than prices in 1998.
In other words, $100 in 1998 is equivalent in purchasing power to $145.41 in 2015, a difference of $45.41 over 17 years.
The inflation rate in 2015 was 0.12%.
| Cumulative price change | 45.41% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.23% |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $145.41 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $45.41 |
| CPI in 1998 | 163 |
| CPI in 2015 | 237.017 |
The above data describe the CPI for all items. Also of note is the Core CPI, which measures inflation for all items except for the more volatile categories of food and energy. Core inflation averaged 1.97% per year between 1998 and 2015 (vs all-CPI inflation of 2.23%).
When using the core inflation measurement, $100 in 1998 is equivalent in buying power to $147.83 in 2015, a difference of $47.83. Recall that for All Items, the converted amount is $145.41 with a difference of $45.41.
In 1998, core inflation was 2.29%.
CPI is the weighted combination of many categories. This chart shows the average rate of inflation for select CPI categories between 1998 and 2015.
Compare these values to the overall average of 2.23% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | $100 in 1998 → 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 2.57 | 153.86 |
| Shelter | 2.54 | 153.10 |
| Energy | 4.07 | 196.92 |
| Apparel | -0.32 | 94.65 |
| New vehicles | 0.15 | 102.58 |
| Used cars and trucks | -0.14 | 97.69 |
| Transportation services | 2.61 | 154.88 |
| Medical care services | 3.94 | 192.94 |
| Medical care commodities | 2.80 | 159.87 |
It's important to note that not all categories may be tracked since 1998. This table and visualization use the earliest available data for each category.
How to calculate the inflation rate for $100, 1998 to 2015
This inflation calculator uses the following inflation rate formula:
CPI in 2015 / CPI in 1998 * 1998 USD value = 2015 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 163 in the year 1998 and 237.017 in 2015:
237.017 / 163 * $100 = $145.41
$100 in 1998 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $145.41 in 2015.
Buying power of $100 since 1998
This chart shows calculations of buying power equivalence over time for $100 in 1998 (price index tracking began in 1913).
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, each of these USD amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | $100.00 | 1.56% |
| 1999 | $102.21 | 2.21% |
| 2000 | $105.64 | 3.36% |
| 2001 | $108.65 | 2.85% |
| 2002 | $110.37 | 1.58% |
| 2003 | $112.88 | 2.28% |
| 2004 | $115.89 | 2.66% |
| 2005 | $119.82 | 3.39% |
| 2006 | $123.68 | 3.23% |
| 2007 | $127.20 | 2.85% |
| 2008 | $132.09 | 3.84% |
| 2009 | $131.62 | -0.36% |
| 2010 | $133.78 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $138.00 | 3.16% |
| 2012 | $140.86 | 2.07% |
| 2013 | $142.92 | 1.46% |
| 2014 | $145.24 | 1.62% |
| 2015 | $145.41 | 0.12%* |
News headlines from 1998
Politics and news often influence economic performance. Here's what was happening at the time:
- Osama Bin Laden declares a Jihad against Jews and Crusaders.
- The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland.
- President of the US Bill Clinton admits that he had an "improper physical relationship" with an intern and then denied it in the same day. The event has come to be known as the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Inflation can vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £100.00 in 1998 would be equivalent to £158.73 in 2015, an absolute change of £58.73 and a cumulative change of 158.73%.
In Canada, CA$100.00 in 1998 would be equivalent to CA$138.55 in 2015, an absolute change of CA$38.55 and a cumulative change of 138.55%.
Compare these numbers to the US's absolute change of $45.41 and percent change of 45.41%.
Data Source & Citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI), established in 1913. Inflation data from 1665 to 1912 is sourced from a historical study conducted by political science professor Robert Sahr at Oregon State University.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “1998 dollars in 2015 | Inflation Calculator.” U.S. Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 19 Jul. 2018, https://www.officialdata.org/1998-dollars-in-2015.
in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.