According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for food were 1,131.43% higher in 2019 versus 1920 (a $45,257.21 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2019: Food experienced an average inflation rate of 2.57% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, food costing $4,000 in the year 1920 would cost $49,257.21 in 2019 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.61% during this same period, inflation for food was lower.
In the year 1920: Pricing changed by 12.92%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for food during the 1920-2019 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1920 (15.62%), inflation for food was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Food, over time, for $4,000 beginning in 1920. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
---|---|---|
1920 | $4,000.00 | 12.92% |
1921 | $3,031.90 | -24.20% |
1922 | $2,839.75 | -6.34% |
1923 | $2,933.63 | 3.31% |
1924 | $2,904.29 | -1.00% |
1925 | $3,146.31 | 8.33% |
1926 | $3,250.46 | 3.31% |
1927 | $3,133.11 | -3.61% |
1928 | $3,097.91 | -1.12% |
1929 | $3,137.51 | 1.28% |
1930 | $2,983.50 | -4.91% |
1931 | $2,459.85 | -17.55% |
1932 | $2,044.74 | -16.88% |
1933 | $1,986.07 | -2.87% |
1934 | $2,213.42 | 11.45% |
1935 | $2,374.77 | 7.29% |
1936 | $2,396.77 | 0.93% |
1937 | $2,495.05 | 4.10% |
1938 | $2,314.63 | -7.23% |
1939 | $2,254.49 | -2.60% |
1940 | $2,285.30 | 1.37% |
1941 | $2,493.58 | 9.11% |
1942 | $2,933.63 | 17.65% |
1943 | $3,260.73 | 11.15% |
1944 | $3,218.19 | -1.30% |
1945 | $3,291.53 | 2.28% |
1946 | $3,778.51 | 14.80% |
1947 | $4,588.19 | 21.43% |
1948 | $4,973.96 | 8.41% |
1949 | $4,778.88 | -3.92% |
1950 | $4,841.95 | 1.32% |
1951 | $5,381.74 | 11.15% |
1952 | $5,477.08 | 1.77% |
1953 | $5,390.54 | -1.58% |
1954 | $5,384.67 | -0.11% |
1955 | $5,304.00 | -1.50% |
1956 | $5,343.60 | 0.75% |
1957 | $5,515.22 | 3.21% |
1958 | $5,752.84 | 4.31% |
1959 | $5,656.03 | -1.68% |
1960 | $5,723.51 | 1.19% |
1961 | $5,789.51 | 1.15% |
1962 | $5,840.85 | 0.89% |
1963 | $5,924.46 | 1.43% |
1964 | $6,002.20 | 1.31% |
1965 | $6,135.68 | 2.22% |
1966 | $6,446.64 | 5.07% |
1967 | $6,495.05 | 0.75% |
1968 | $6,729.74 | 3.61% |
1969 | $7,075.91 | 5.14% |
1970 | $7,474.88 | 5.64% |
1971 | $7,694.90 | 2.94% |
1972 | $8,026.40 | 4.31% |
1973 | $9,186.65 | 14.46% |
1974 | $10,509.72 | 14.40% |
1975 | $11,401.54 | 8.49% |
1976 | $11,752.11 | 3.07% |
1977 | $12,492.85 | 6.30% |
1978 | $13,739.64 | 9.98% |
1979 | $15,238.72 | 10.91% |
1980 | $16,547.12 | 8.59% |
1981 | $17,840.85 | 7.82% |
1982 | $18,563.99 | 4.05% |
1983 | $18,955.63 | 2.11% |
1984 | $19,684.64 | 3.85% |
1985 | $20,130.55 | 2.27% |
1986 | $20,774.48 | 3.20% |
1987 | $21,639.90 | 4.17% |
1988 | $22,534.65 | 4.13% |
1989 | $23,850.39 | 5.84% |
1990 | $25,240.92 | 5.83% |
1991 | $25,981.66 | 2.93% |
1992 | $26,294.10 | 1.20% |
1993 | $26,860.29 | 2.15% |
1994 | $27,511.55 | 2.42% |
1995 | $28,300.70 | 2.87% |
1996 | $29,229.19 | 3.28% |
1997 | $29,990.47 | 2.60% |
1998 | $30,640.26 | 2.17% |
1999 | $31,291.53 | 2.13% |
2000 | $32,000.00 | 2.26% |
2001 | $33,004.77 | 3.14% |
2002 | $33,601.76 | 1.81% |
2003 | $34,319.03 | 2.13% |
2004 | $35,501.28 | 3.44% |
2005 | $36,368.17 | 2.44% |
2006 | $37,217.46 | 2.34% |
2007 | $38,693.17 | 3.97% |
2008 | $40,827.03 | 5.51% |
2009 | $41,560.92 | 1.80% |
2010 | $41,879.37 | 0.77% |
2011 | $43,446.13 | 3.74% |
2012 | $44,578.00 | 2.61% |
2013 | $45,199.56 | 1.39% |
2014 | $46,284.11 | 2.40% |
2015 | $47,144.16 | 1.86% |
2016 | $47,276.95 | 0.28% |
2017 | $47,683.81 | 0.86% |
2018 | $48,349.92 | 1.40% |
2019 | $49,257.21 | 1.88% |
2020 | $50,954.91 | 3.45% |
2021 | $52,964.03 | 3.94% |
2022 | $58,233.08 | 9.95% |
2023 | $61,584.79 | 5.76% |
2024 | $62,455.11 | 1.41%* |
* 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:
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 | 327.529 |