Inflation Calculator
Inflation in 1791 and Its Effect on Dollar Value
Purchasing power decreased by 2.17% in 1791 compared to 1790. On average, you would have to spend 2.17% more money in 1791 than in 1790 for the same item.
In other words, $1 in 1790 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1.02 in 1791.
The 1790 inflation rate was 4.55%. The inflation rate in 1791 was 2.17%. The 1791 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 1.46% per year between 1791 and 2019.
Inflation rate is calculated by change in the consumer price index (CPI). The CPI in 1791 was 9.40. It was 9.20 in the previous year, 1790. The difference in CPI between the years is used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to officially determine inflation.
Contents
⌃
| Average inflation rate | 2.17% |
| Converted amount ($1 base) | $1.02 |
| Price difference ($1 base) | $0.02 |
| CPI in 1790 | 9.200 |
| CPI in 1791 | 9.400 |
| Inflation in 1790 | 4.55% |
| Inflation in 1791 | 2.17% |
Inflation by Country
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £1.00 in 1790 would be equivalent to £1.00 in 1791, an absolute change of £0.00 and a cumulative change of 0.00%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $0.02 and total percent change of 2.17%.
Inflation by Spending Category
CPI is the weighted combination of many categories of spending that are tracked by the government. This chart shows the average rate of inflation for select CPI categories between 1790 and 1791.
Compare these values to the overall average of 2.17% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $1 in 1790 → 1791 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Shelter | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Energy | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Apparel | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| New vehicles | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Used cars and trucks | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Transportation services | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Medical care services | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Medical care commodities | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
It's important to note that not all categories may be tracked since 1790. This table and visualization use the earliest available data for each category.
How to Calculate Inflation Rate for $1, 1790 to 1791
This inflation calculator uses the following inflation rate formula:
CPI in 1791CPI in 1790
×
1790 USD value
=
1791 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 9.2 in the year 1790 and 9.4 in 1791:
9.49.2
×
$1
=
$1.02
$1 in 1790 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1.02 in 1791.
To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1790 and 1791, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1791 - CPI in 1790CPI in 1790
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (1 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
9.4 - 9.29.2
×
100
=
2%
News headlines from 1790
Politics and news often influence economic performance. Here's what was happening at the time:
- George Washington, delivers his first State of the Union address as president.
- The Swedish navy capture a third of the Russian fleet in the Second Battle of Svensksund.
- Columbia Rediviva, returns to Boston, having become the first American ship to circumnavigate the world.
- Turkish fortress of Izmail, thought to be impenetrable, is captured by the Russians under the command of Suvorov.
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: “Inflation Rate in 1791 | Inflation Calculator.” U.S. Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 24 Apr. 2019, https://www.officialdata.org/inflation-rate-in-1791.
Special thanks to QuickChart for providing downloadable chart images.
in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.