Commodities priced at $20 in 1946 $192.40 in 2023

Commodities Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Commodities, 1946-2023 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for commodities are 862.02% higher in 2023 versus 1946 (a $172.40 difference in value).

Between 1946 and 2023: Commodities experienced an average inflation rate of 2.98% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, commodities costing $20 in the year 1946 would cost $192.40 in 2023 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.63% during this same period, inflation for commodities was lower.

In the year 1946: Pricing changed by 12.36%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for commodities during the 1946-2023 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1946 (8.47%), inflation for commodities was much higher.

Price Inflation for Commodities since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1947 (19.07%), 1942 (14.43%), and 1946 (12.36%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1946

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Commodities, over time, for $20 beginning in 1946. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1946$20.0012.36%
1947$23.8119.07%
1948$25.416.71%
1949$24.67-2.91%
1950$25.021.39%
1951$27.258.93%
1952$27.460.76%
1953$27.37-0.31%
1954$27.11-0.94%
1955$26.89-0.82%
1956$27.130.88%
1957$27.993.17%
1958$28.622.27%
1959$28.650.12%
1960$28.870.76%
1961$29.070.69%
1962$29.300.77%
1963$29.590.99%
1964$29.870.96%
1965$30.231.19%
1966$31.012.58%
1967$31.591.88%
1968$32.743.64%
1969$34.244.58%
1970$35.834.65%
1971$37.093.50%
1972$38.203.01%
1973$41.037.39%
1974$45.9411.98%
1975$50.038.90%
1976$52.184.29%
1977$55.175.74%
1978$59.097.09%
1979$65.8311.42%
1980$73.8812.22%
1981$80.088.40%
1982$83.314.04%
1983$85.772.95%
1984$88.673.37%
1985$90.532.10%
1986$89.66-0.96%
1987$92.553.21%
1988$95.783.50%
1989$100.264.67%
1990$105.495.21%
1991$108.783.13%
1992$110.921.97%
1993$112.981.85%
1994$114.911.71%
1995$117.212.00%
1996$120.182.54%
1997$121.851.39%
1998$121.930.06%
1999$124.081.77%
2000$128.173.29%
2001$129.430.98%
2002$128.63-0.62%
2003$129.880.98%
2004$132.942.35%
2005$137.603.50%
2006$140.892.40%
2007$143.912.14%
2008$150.144.33%
2009$145.79-2.90%
2010$149.972.87%
2011$157.965.33%
2012$161.152.02%
2013$161.230.05%
2014$161.460.15%
2015$156.10-3.32%
2016$153.98-1.36%
2017$155.711.12%
2018$158.611.86%
2019$159.160.35%
2020$158.76-0.25%
2021$171.167.81%
2022$189.8110.90%
2023$192.401.37%*

* 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 Commodities:

Year19351936193719381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023
CPI14.87515.06715.72015.04014.78014.92016.08018.40019.94020.12020.72023.28027.72029.58028.72029.12031.72031.96031.86031.56031.30031.57732.57733.31533.35433.60833.83834.10034.43834.76935.18536.09236.76938.10839.85441.70843.16944.46947.75453.47758.23860.73864.22368.77776.63185.99293.21596.97799.838103.208105.377104.369107.723111.492116.700122.785126.623129.115131.508133.754136.431139.892141.838141.923144.431149.185150.654149.723151.185154.738160.162164.000167.509174.764169.698174.566183.862187.577187.670187.943181.703179.236181.242184.617185.266184.799199.227220.936223.957

Adjust commodities prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2023 / CPI in 1946 * 1946 USD value = 2023 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Commodities was 23.280 in the year 1946 and 223.957 in 2023:

223.957 / 23.280 * $20 = $192.40

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1946 has the same "purchasing power" as $192.40 in 2023 (in the CPI category of Commodities).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Commodities in 1935. In addition to commodities, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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