According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,080.74% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $104,036,993,957,703,952 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.69% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $5,000,000,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1940 would cost $109,036,993,957,703,952 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.55%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation in Chicago was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $5,000,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $5,000,000,000,000,000.00 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $5,262,839,879,154,078.00 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $5,785,498,489,425,983.00 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $6,108,761,329,305,135.00 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $6,202,416,918,429,004.00 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $6,335,347,432,024,169.00 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $6,900,302,114,803,626.00 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $8,015,105,740,181,270.00 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $8,712,990,936,555,891.00 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $8,703,927,492,447,132.00 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $8,791,540,785,498,490.00 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $9,483,383,685,800,604.00 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $9,688,821,752,265,860.00 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $9,773,413,897,280,966.00 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $9,918,429,003,021,148.00 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $9,984,894,259,818,732.00 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $10,123,867,069,486,406.00 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $10,453,172,205,438,066.00 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $10,770,392,749,244,712.00 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $10,858,006,042,296,072.00 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $11,009,063,444,108,760.00 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $11,063,444,108,761,330.00 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $11,178,247,734,138,972.00 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $11,290,030,211,480,364.00 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $11,335,347,432,024,170.00 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $11,486,404,833,836,858.00 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $11,830,815,709,969,786.00 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $12,138,972,809,667,674.00 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $12,652,567,975,830,814.00 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $13,344,410,876,132,930.00 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $14,108,761,329,305,136.00 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $14,664,652,567,975,832.00 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $15,081,570,996,978,852.00 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $16,027,190,332,326,284.00 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $17,722,054,380,664,652.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $19,120,845,921,450,152.00 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $20,036,253,776,435,048.00 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $21,296,072,507,552,868.00 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $23,148,036,253,776,436.00 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $26,036,253,776,435,048.00 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $29,791,540,785,498,492.00 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $32,643,504,531,722,060.00 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $34,870,090,634,441,092.00 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $36,259,818,731,117,816.00 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $37,628,398,791,540,792.00 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $39,048,338,368,580,056.00 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $39,864,048,338,368,576.00 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $41,507,552,870,090,640.00 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $43,129,909,365,558,912.00 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $45,311,178,247,734,136.00 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $47,746,223,564,954,696.00 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $49,682,779,456,193,352.00 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $51,138,972,809,667,664.00 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $52,716,012,084,592,136.00 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $53,870,090,634,441,096.00 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $55,583,081,570,996,984.00 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $57,069,486,404,833,832.00 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $58,631,419,939,577,040.00 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $59,812,688,821,752,272.00 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $61,051,359,516,616,312.00 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $63,012,084,592,145,008.00 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $64,652,567,975,830,824.00 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $65,682,779,456,193,344.00 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $66,891,238,670,694,864.00 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $68,386,706,948,640,480.00 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $70,456,193,353,474,336.00 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $71,900,302,114,803,640.00 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $74,254,108,761,329,312.00 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $77,052,175,226,586,096.00 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $76,131,148,036,253,776.00 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $77,173,564,954,682,784.00 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $79,281,268,882,175,232.00 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $80,485,105,740,181,264.00 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $81,406,102,719,033,232.00 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $82,828,187,311,178,256.00 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $82,583,323,262,839,872.00 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $83,130,543,806,646,528.00 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $84,692,930,513,595,168.00 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $86,177,492,447,129,920.00 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $87,437,099,697,885,200.00 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $88,413,081,570,996,976.00 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $92,142,265,861,027,200.00 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $99,101,903,323,262,848.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $102,398,610,271,903,328.00 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $105,942,598,187,311,168.00 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $109,036,993,957,703,952.00 | 2.92%* |
* 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 Chicago, Illinois:
| Year | 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 | 2025 |
| CPI | 10.000 | 10.017 | 10.317 | 11.758 | 13.733 | 16.667 | 19.850 | 18.175 | 17.167 | 17.375 | 17.717 | 18.108 | 18.425 | 18.258 | 17.692 | 17.650 | 17.458 | 15.958 | 14.083 | 12.633 | 12.717 | 13.267 | 13.533 | 14.092 | 13.992 | 13.717 | 13.792 | 14.517 | 15.958 | 16.850 | 17.108 | 17.475 | 19.033 | 22.108 | 24.033 | 24.008 | 24.250 | 26.158 | 26.725 | 26.958 | 27.358 | 27.542 | 27.925 | 28.833 | 29.708 | 29.950 | 30.367 | 30.517 | 30.833 | 31.142 | 31.267 | 31.683 | 32.633 | 33.483 | 34.900 | 36.808 | 38.917 | 40.450 | 41.600 | 44.208 | 48.883 | 52.742 | 55.267 | 58.742 | 63.850 | 71.817 | 82.175 | 90.042 | 96.183 | 100.017 | 103.792 | 107.708 | 109.958 | 114.492 | 118.967 | 124.983 | 131.700 | 137.042 | 141.058 | 145.408 | 148.592 | 153.317 | 157.417 | 161.725 | 164.983 | 168.400 | 173.808 | 178.333 | 181.175 | 184.508 | 188.633 | 194.342 | 198.325 | 204.818 | 212.536 | 209.995 | 212.870 | 218.684 | 222.005 | 224.545 | 228.468 | 227.792 | 229.302 | 233.611 | 237.706 | 241.181 | 243.873 | 254.159 | 273.356 | 282.450 | 292.225 | 300.760 |