Food priced at $3,000 in 1916 $65,957.15 in 2016

Food Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Food, 1916-2016 ($3,000)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for food were 2,098.57% higher in 2016 versus 1916 (a $62,957.15 difference in value).

Between 1916 and 2016: Food experienced an average inflation rate of 3.14% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, food costing $3,000 in the year 1916 would cost $65,957.15 in 2016 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.14% during this same period, inflation for food was lower.

In the year 1916: Pricing changed by 12.17%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for food during the 1916-2016 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1916 (7.69%), inflation for food was much higher.

Price Inflation for Food since 1913

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1917 (28.65%), 1921 (-24.20%), and 1947 (21.43%).

View price changes for other categories
Frankfurters · Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas · Indoor plants and flowers · New York · More

Buying power of $3,000.00 since 1916

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Food, over time, for $3,000 beginning in 1916. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1916$3,000.0012.17%
1917$3,859.4828.65%
1918$4,442.7015.11%
1919$4,942.0211.24%
1920$5,580.4912.92%
1921$4,229.88-24.20%
1922$3,961.80-6.34%
1923$4,092.773.31%
1924$4,051.84-1.00%
1925$4,389.508.33%
1926$4,534.793.31%
1927$4,371.08-3.61%
1928$4,321.96-1.12%
1929$4,377.221.28%
1930$4,162.35-4.91%
1931$3,431.79-17.55%
1932$2,852.66-16.88%
1933$2,770.80-2.87%
1934$3,087.9911.45%
1935$3,313.107.29%
1936$3,343.790.93%
1937$3,480.904.10%
1938$3,229.20-7.23%
1939$3,145.29-2.60%
1940$3,188.271.37%
1941$3,478.859.11%
1942$4,092.7717.65%
1943$4,549.1111.15%
1944$4,489.77-1.30%
1945$4,592.092.28%
1946$5,271.4914.80%
1947$6,401.0921.43%
1948$6,939.298.41%
1949$6,667.12-3.92%
1950$6,755.121.32%
1951$7,508.1911.15%
1952$7,641.201.77%
1953$7,520.46-1.58%
1954$7,512.28-0.11%
1955$7,399.73-1.50%
1956$7,454.980.75%
1957$7,694.413.21%
1958$8,025.924.31%
1959$7,890.86-1.68%
1960$7,984.991.19%
1961$8,077.081.15%
1962$8,148.700.89%
1963$8,265.351.43%
1964$8,373.811.31%
1965$8,560.032.22%
1966$8,993.865.07%
1967$9,061.390.75%
1968$9,388.813.61%
1969$9,871.765.14%
1970$10,428.385.64%
1971$10,735.332.94%
1972$11,197.824.31%
1973$12,816.5114.46%
1974$14,662.3514.40%
1975$15,906.558.49%
1976$16,395.633.07%
1977$17,429.066.30%
1978$19,168.499.98%
1979$21,259.8910.91%
1980$23,085.278.59%
1981$24,890.187.82%
1982$25,899.054.05%
1983$26,445.432.11%
1984$27,462.483.85%
1985$28,084.582.27%
1986$28,982.953.20%
1987$30,190.314.17%
1988$31,438.614.13%
1989$33,274.225.84%
1990$35,214.195.83%
1991$36,247.612.93%
1992$36,683.491.20%
1993$37,473.402.15%
1994$38,381.992.42%
1995$39,482.952.87%
1996$40,778.313.28%
1997$41,840.382.60%
1998$42,746.932.17%
1999$43,655.532.13%
2000$44,643.932.26%
2001$46,045.703.14%
2002$46,878.581.81%
2003$47,879.262.13%
2004$49,528.653.44%
2005$50,738.062.44%
2006$51,922.922.34%
2007$53,981.733.97%
2008$56,958.725.51%
2009$57,982.591.80%
2010$58,426.860.77%
2011$60,612.693.74%
2012$62,191.782.61%
2013$63,058.941.39%
2014$64,572.012.40%
2015$65,771.891.86%
2016$65,957.150.28%
2017$66,524.770.86%
2018$67,454.081.40%
2019$68,719.851.88%
2020$71,088.363.45%
2021$73,891.333.94%
2022$81,242.299.95%
2023$85,918.345.76%
2024$87,132.541.41%*

* 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:

Year1913191419151916191719181919192019211922192319241925192619271928192919301931193219331934193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI9.92310.15410.05411.27714.50816.70018.57720.97715.90014.89215.38515.23116.50017.04616.43116.24616.45415.64612.90010.72310.41511.60812.45412.56913.08512.13811.82311.98513.07715.38517.10016.87717.26219.81524.06226.08525.06225.39228.22328.72328.26928.23827.81528.02328.92330.16929.66230.01530.36230.63131.06931.47732.17733.80834.06235.29237.10839.20040.35442.09248.17755.11559.79261.63165.51572.05479.91586.77793.56297.35499.408103.231105.569108.946113.485118.177125.077132.369136.254137.892140.862144.277148.415153.285157.277160.685164.100167.815173.085176.215179.977186.177190.723195.177202.916214.106217.955219.625227.842233.777237.037242.725247.235247.931250.065253.558258.316267.219277.756305.388322.965327.529

Adjust food prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2016 / CPI in 1916 * 1916 USD value = 2016 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Food was 11.277 in the year 1916 and 247.931 in 2016:

247.931 / 11.277 * $3,000 = $65,957.15

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $3,000 in 1916 has the same "purchasing power" as $65,957.15 in 2016 (in the CPI category of Food).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Food in 1913. In addition to food, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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