All items price history from 1979 through 2021

All Items Inflation Calculator

Prices for All Items, 1979-2021 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for all items were 263.93% higher in 2021 versus 1979 (a $52.79 difference in value).

Between 1979 and 2021: All items experienced an average inflation rate of 3.12% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, all items costing $20 in the year 1979 would cost $72.79 in 2021 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.12% during this same period, inflation for all items was similar.

In the year 1979: Pricing changed by 11.26%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for all items during the 1979-2021 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1979 (11.26%), inflation for all items was similar.

Price Inflation for All items since 1913

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1917 (17.81%), 1918 (17.34%), and 1920 (15.62%).

Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for All items:

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
CPI	9.885	10.015	10.108	10.885	12.823	15.046	17.331	20.038	17.854	16.754	17.054	17.123	17.538	17.700	17.362	17.154	17.154	16.700	15.208	13.646	12.938	13.385	13.723	13.869	14.385	14.092	13.908	14.008	14.723	16.331	17.308	17.592	17.992	19.515	22.323	24.046	23.808	24.069	25.962	26.546	26.762	26.854	26.777	27.185	28.092	28.862	29.146	29.577	29.892	30.246	30.623	31.015	31.508	32.454	33.362	34.785	36.685	38.823	40.492	41.815	44.400	49.308	53.815	56.908	60.608	65.231	72.577	82.408	90.923	96.500	99.600	103.885	107.569	109.608	113.623	118.262	123.969	130.662	136.192	140.315	144.462	148.223	152.385	156.854	160.515	163.008	166.577	172.200	177.069	179.877	183.962	188.885	195.292	201.592	207.342	215.303	214.537	218.056	224.939	229.594	232.957	236.736	237.017	240.007	245.120	251.107	255.657	258.811	264.132

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Buying power of $20 since 1979

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for All items, over time, for $20 beginning in 1979. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1979	$20.00	11.26%
1980	$22.71	13.55%
1981	$25.06	10.33%
1982	$26.59	6.13%
1983	$27.45	3.21%
1984	$28.63	4.30%
1985	$29.64	3.55%
1986	$30.20	1.90%
1987	$31.31	3.66%
1988	$32.59	4.08%
1989	$34.16	4.83%
1990	$36.01	5.40%
1991	$37.53	4.23%
1992	$38.67	3.03%
1993	$39.81	2.95%
1994	$40.85	2.60%
1995	$41.99	2.81%
1996	$43.22	2.93%
1997	$44.23	2.33%
1998	$44.92	1.55%
1999	$45.90	2.19%
2000	$47.45	3.38%
2001	$48.79	2.83%
2002	$49.57	1.59%
2003	$50.69	2.27%
2004	$52.05	2.68%
2005	$53.82	3.39%
2006	$55.55	3.23%
2007	$57.14	2.85%
2008	$59.33	3.84%
2009	$59.12	-0.36%
2010	$60.09	1.64%
2011	$61.99	3.16%
2012	$63.27	2.07%
2013	$64.20	1.46%
2014	$65.24	1.62%
2015	$65.31	0.12%
2016	$66.14	1.26%
2017	$67.55	2.13%
2018	$69.20	2.44%
2019	$70.45	1.81%
2020	$71.32	1.23%
2021	$72.79	2.06%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.

How to calculate the inflation rate for all items, 1979-2021

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2021 / CPI in 1979 * 1979 USD value = 2021 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for All items was 72.577 in the year 1979 and 264.132 in 2021:

264.132 / 72.577 * $20 = $72.79

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1979 has the same "purchasing power" as $72.79 in 2021 (in the CPI category of All items).

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