Apple prices were 1,981.61% higher in 2023 versus 1950 (a $25.96 difference in value).
The latest available average price is $1.32 in October 2017 for Apples, Red Delicious, per lb. (453.6 gm). See observed price history.
Between 1950 and 2023, Apples experienced an average inflation rate of 4.25% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, apples costing $1.31 in the year 1950 would cost $27.27 in 2023 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.54% during this same period, inflation for apples was higher.
In the year 1950: Pricing changed by -5.27%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for apples during the 1950-2023 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1950 (1.09%), inflation for apples was much lower.
The official rate is based on an average household's spending, so your own inflation rate is probably different. The personal inflation calculator works it out from your budget.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of apples rose 109%, from $0.63 per pound in 1980 to $1.32 in October 2017, the last price it reported. Overall prices rose 309% over the same period, so apples rose more slowly than inflation. This data is collected by a national survey and can vary from region to region.
● Price● Price, inflation-adjusted
The average price for apples is calculated from a weighted average of retailer data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The table below shows the average U.S. price of apples, Red Delicious, per lb. (453.6 gm) each year, along with the same price adjusted for inflation. To understand how price levels differ from inflation rates, see this article published by the BLS.
| Year | Price (per pound) | Price, inflation-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 (partial) | $1.29 | $1.78 |
| 2016 | $1.44 | $2.02 |
| 2015 | $1.36 | $1.93 |
| 2014 | $1.35 | $1.93 |
| 2013 | $1.39 | $2.00 |
| 2012 | $1.38 | $2.02 |
| 2011 | $1.35 | $2.02 |
| 2010 | $1.22 | $1.89 |
| 2009 | $1.18 | $1.86 |
| 2008 | $1.32 | $2.07 |
| 2007 | $1.12 | $1.81 |
| 2006 | $1.07 | $1.78 |
| 2005 | $0.95 | $1.64 |
| 2004 | $1.04 | $1.86 |
| 2003 | $0.98 | $1.79 |
| 2002 | $0.95 | $1.78 |
| 2001 | $0.87 | $1.65 |
| 2000 | $0.92 | $1.80 |
| 1999 | $0.90 | $1.81 |
| 1998 | $0.94 | $1.95 |
| 1997 | $0.91 | $1.90 |
| 1996 | $0.93 | $2.00 |
| 1995 | $0.83 | $1.85 |
| 1994 | $0.80 | $1.83 |
| 1993 | $0.83 | $1.94 |
| 1992 | $0.89 | $2.14 |
| 1991 | $0.89 | $2.19 |
| 1990 | $0.72 | $1.85 |
| 1989 | $0.69 | $1.87 |
| 1988 | $0.73 | $2.08 |
| 1987 | $0.73 | $2.16 |
| 1986 | $0.77 | $2.38 |
| 1985 | $0.68 | $2.14 |
| 1984 | $0.66 | $2.13 |
| 1983 | $0.59 | $2.00 |
| 1982 | $0.64 | $2.23 |
| 1981 | $0.57 | $2.09 |
| 1980 | $0.63 | $2.57 |
Yearly averages; 2017 is through October. Inflation-adjusted to 2026 dollars.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Apples, over time, for $1.31 beginning in 1950. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $1.31 | -5.27% |
| 1951 | $1.20 | -8.40% |
| 1952 | $1.62 | 35.39% |
| 1953 | $1.83 | 12.94% |
| 1954 | $1.79 | -2.72% |
| 1955 | $1.76 | -1.36% |
| 1956 | $1.77 | 0.35% |
| 1957 | $1.99 | 12.69% |
| 1958 | $1.91 | -4.12% |
| 1959 | $1.72 | -10.09% |
| 1960 | $2.01 | 17.38% |
| 1961 | $2.09 | 3.83% |
| 1962 | $1.98 | -5.46% |
| 1963 | $2.09 | 5.65% |
| 1964 | $2.11 | 0.87% |
| 1965 | $2.16 | 2.51% |
| 1966 | $2.41 | 11.61% |
| 1967 | $2.53 | 4.94% |
| 1968 | $2.95 | 16.52% |
| 1969 | $2.93 | -0.62% |
| 1970 | $2.71 | -7.67% |
| 1971 | $2.89 | 6.80% |
| 1972 | $3.08 | 6.52% |
| 1973 | $3.67 | 19.19% |
| 1974 | $4.11 | 12.11% |
| 1975 | $4.11 | -0.03% |
| 1976 | $3.94 | -4.24% |
| 1977 | $4.67 | 18.67% |
| 1978 | $5.84 | 25.02% |
| 1979 | $5.77 | -1.27% |
| 1980 | $6.71 | 16.38% |
| 1981 | $6.15 | -8.37% |
| 1982 | $7.20 | 17.14% |
| 1983 | $6.90 | -4.25% |
| 1984 | $7.77 | 12.65% |
| 1985 | $8.25 | 6.14% |
| 1986 | $9.52 | 15.46% |
| 1987 | $9.55 | 0.26% |
| 1988 | $9.78 | 2.48% |
| 1989 | $10.24 | 4.68% |
| 1990 | $10.75 | 4.97% |
| 1991 | $12.60 | 17.21% |
| 1992 | $13.09 | 3.86% |
| 1993 | $12.32 | -5.84% |
| 1994 | $12.68 | 2.91% |
| 1995 | $13.38 | 5.50% |
| 1996 | $14.75 | 10.23% |
| 1997 | $14.55 | -1.35% |
| 1998 | $14.75 | 1.36% |
| 1999 | $14.59 | -1.06% |
| 2000 | $15.50 | 6.22% |
| 2001 | $15.59 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $16.82 | 7.89% |
| 2003 | $17.82 | 5.92% |
| 2004 | $18.35 | 2.97% |
| 2005 | $17.94 | -2.24% |
| 2006 | $20.22 | 12.74% |
| 2007 | $21.83 | 7.96% |
| 2008 | $24.32 | 11.37% |
| 2009 | $21.02 | -13.57% |
| 2010 | $21.59 | 2.73% |
| 2011 | $22.75 | 5.38% |
| 2012 | $24.41 | 7.32% |
| 2013 | $25.42 | 4.13% |
| 2014 | $25.17 | -1.01% |
| 2015 | $24.00 | -4.64% |
| 2016 | $25.62 | 6.77% |
| 2017 | $25.12 | -1.97% |
| 2018 | $24.46 | -2.63% |
| 2019 | $24.71 | 1.04% |
| 2020 | $23.52 | -4.83% |
| 2021 | $24.83 | 5.56% |
| 2022 | $26.36 | 6.17% |
| 2023 | $27.27 | 3.46% |
| 2024 | $24.77 | -9.15% |
| 2025 | $26.02 | 5.02% |
| 2026 | $27.39 | 5.27%* |
* 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 Apples:
| Year | 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 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 7.250 | 7.733 | 7.967 | 10.517 | 15.933 | 16.658 | 19.075 | 20.225 | 19.392 | 18.042 | 18.967 | 17.967 | 16.458 | 22.283 | 25.167 | 24.483 | 24.150 | 24.233 | 27.308 | 26.183 | 23.542 | 27.633 | 28.692 | 27.125 | 28.658 | 28.908 | 29.633 | 33.075 | 34.708 | 40.442 | 40.192 | 37.108 | 39.633 | 42.217 | 50.317 | 56.408 | 56.392 | 54.000 | 64.083 | 80.117 | 79.100 | 92.058 | 84.350 | 98.808 | 94.608 | 106.575 | 113.117 | 130.608 | 130.950 | 134.200 | 140.475 | 147.458 | 172.842 | 179.508 | 169.033 | 173.950 | 183.525 | 202.308 | 199.583 | 202.292 | 200.142 | 212.583 | 213.850 | 230.733 | 244.392 | 251.658 | 246.025 | 277.367 | 299.446 | 333.496 | 288.225 | 296.082 | 312.003 | 334.848 | 348.691 | 345.156 | 329.146 | 351.439 | 344.502 | 335.449 | 338.929 | 322.572 | 340.498 | 361.500 | 373.997 | 339.758 | 356.802 | 375.621 |