According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for food were 2,469.33% higher in 2019 versus 1915 (a $518,558.61 difference in value).
Between 1915 and 2019: Food experienced an average inflation rate of 3.17% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, food costing $21,000 in the year 1915 would cost $539,558.61 in 2019 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.16% during this same period, inflation for food was higher.
In the year 1915: Pricing changed by -0.98%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for food during the 1915-2019 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1915 (0.92%), inflation for food was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Food, over time, for $21,000 beginning in 1915. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
---|---|---|
1915 | $21,000.00 | -0.98% |
1916 | $23,554.71 | 12.17% |
1917 | $30,302.98 | 28.65% |
1918 | $34,882.17 | 15.11% |
1919 | $38,802.60 | 11.24% |
1920 | $43,815.61 | 12.92% |
1921 | $33,211.17 | -24.20% |
1922 | $31,106.35 | -6.34% |
1923 | $32,134.66 | 3.31% |
1924 | $31,813.31 | -1.00% |
1925 | $34,464.42 | 8.33% |
1926 | $35,605.20 | 3.31% |
1927 | $34,319.82 | -3.61% |
1928 | $33,934.20 | -1.12% |
1929 | $34,368.02 | 1.28% |
1930 | $32,680.95 | -4.91% |
1931 | $26,944.91 | -17.55% |
1932 | $22,397.86 | -16.88% |
1933 | $21,755.16 | -2.87% |
1934 | $24,245.60 | 11.45% |
1935 | $26,013.01 | 7.29% |
1936 | $26,254.02 | 0.93% |
1937 | $27,330.53 | 4.10% |
1938 | $25,354.25 | -7.23% |
1939 | $24,695.49 | -2.60% |
1940 | $25,032.90 | 1.37% |
1941 | $27,314.46 | 9.11% |
1942 | $32,134.66 | 17.65% |
1943 | $35,717.67 | 11.15% |
1944 | $35,251.72 | -1.30% |
1945 | $36,055.09 | 2.28% |
1946 | $41,389.44 | 14.80% |
1947 | $50,258.61 | 21.43% |
1948 | $54,484.32 | 8.41% |
1949 | $52,347.36 | -3.92% |
1950 | $53,038.26 | 1.32% |
1951 | $58,951.03 | 11.15% |
1952 | $59,995.41 | 1.77% |
1953 | $59,047.44 | -1.58% |
1954 | $58,983.17 | -0.11% |
1955 | $58,099.46 | -1.50% |
1956 | $58,533.28 | 0.75% |
1957 | $60,413.16 | 3.21% |
1958 | $63,016.07 | 4.31% |
1959 | $61,955.62 | -1.68% |
1960 | $62,694.72 | 1.19% |
1961 | $63,417.75 | 1.15% |
1962 | $63,980.11 | 0.89% |
1963 | $64,895.94 | 1.43% |
1964 | $65,747.51 | 1.31% |
1965 | $67,209.64 | 2.22% |
1966 | $70,615.91 | 5.07% |
1967 | $71,146.14 | 0.75% |
1968 | $73,716.91 | 3.61% |
1969 | $77,508.80 | 5.14% |
1970 | $81,879.11 | 5.64% |
1971 | $84,289.21 | 2.94% |
1972 | $87,920.43 | 4.31% |
1973 | $100,629.69 | 14.46% |
1974 | $115,122.42 | 14.40% |
1975 | $124,891.35 | 8.49% |
1976 | $128,731.45 | 3.07% |
1977 | $136,845.45 | 6.30% |
1978 | $150,502.68 | 9.98% |
1979 | $166,923.49 | 10.91% |
1980 | $181,255.55 | 8.59% |
1981 | $195,426.93 | 7.82% |
1982 | $203,348.13 | 4.05% |
1983 | $207,638.10 | 2.11% |
1984 | $215,623.57 | 3.85% |
1985 | $220,508.03 | 2.27% |
1986 | $227,561.59 | 3.20% |
1987 | $237,041.32 | 4.17% |
1988 | $246,842.39 | 4.13% |
1989 | $261,254.78 | 5.84% |
1990 | $276,486.61 | 5.83% |
1991 | $284,600.61 | 2.93% |
1992 | $288,022.95 | 1.20% |
1993 | $294,224.94 | 2.15% |
1994 | $301,358.84 | 2.42% |
1995 | $310,003.06 | 2.87% |
1996 | $320,173.68 | 3.28% |
1997 | $328,512.62 | 2.60% |
1998 | $335,630.45 | 2.17% |
1999 | $342,764.35 | 2.13% |
2000 | $350,524.87 | 2.26% |
2001 | $361,530.99 | 3.14% |
2002 | $368,070.39 | 1.81% |
2003 | $375,927.31 | 2.13% |
2004 | $388,877.58 | 3.44% |
2005 | $398,373.37 | 2.44% |
2006 | $407,676.36 | 2.34% |
2007 | $423,841.22 | 3.97% |
2008 | $447,215.33 | 5.51% |
2009 | $455,254.29 | 1.80% |
2010 | $458,742.51 | 0.77% |
2011 | $475,904.67 | 3.74% |
2012 | $488,303.02 | 2.61% |
2013 | $495,111.55 | 1.39% |
2014 | $506,991.58 | 2.40% |
2015 | $516,412.49 | 1.86% |
2016 | $517,867.07 | 0.28% |
2017 | $522,323.83 | 0.86% |
2018 | $529,620.32 | 1.40% |
2019 | $539,558.61 | 1.88% |
2020 | $558,155.10 | 3.45% |
2021 | $580,162.84 | 3.94% |
2022 | $637,879.42 | 9.95% |
2023 | $674,593.75 | 5.76% |
2024 | $684,485.01 | 1.47%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Food:
Year | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
CPI | 9.923 | 10.154 | 10.054 | 11.277 | 14.508 | 16.700 | 18.577 | 20.977 | 15.900 | 14.892 | 15.385 | 15.231 | 16.500 | 17.046 | 16.431 | 16.246 | 16.454 | 15.646 | 12.900 | 10.723 | 10.415 | 11.608 | 12.454 | 12.569 | 13.085 | 12.138 | 11.823 | 11.985 | 13.077 | 15.385 | 17.100 | 16.877 | 17.262 | 19.815 | 24.062 | 26.085 | 25.062 | 25.392 | 28.223 | 28.723 | 28.269 | 28.238 | 27.815 | 28.023 | 28.923 | 30.169 | 29.662 | 30.015 | 30.362 | 30.631 | 31.069 | 31.477 | 32.177 | 33.808 | 34.062 | 35.292 | 37.108 | 39.200 | 40.354 | 42.092 | 48.177 | 55.115 | 59.792 | 61.631 | 65.515 | 72.054 | 79.915 | 86.777 | 93.562 | 97.354 | 99.408 | 103.231 | 105.569 | 108.946 | 113.485 | 118.177 | 125.077 | 132.369 | 136.254 | 137.892 | 140.862 | 144.277 | 148.415 | 153.285 | 157.277 | 160.685 | 164.100 | 167.815 | 173.085 | 176.215 | 179.977 | 186.177 | 190.723 | 195.177 | 202.916 | 214.106 | 217.955 | 219.625 | 227.842 | 233.777 | 237.037 | 242.725 | 247.235 | 247.931 | 250.065 | 253.558 | 258.316 | 267.219 | 277.756 | 305.388 | 322.965 | 327.700 |