Food at Home Inflation by Year, 1947

Food At Home Inflation Calculator

Prices for Food At Home, 1947-2026 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for food at home are 1,139.82% higher in 2026 versus 1947 (a $227.96 difference in value).

Between 1947 and 2026, Food at home experienced an average inflation rate of 3.24% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, food at home costing $20 in the year 1947 would cost $247.96 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.48% during this same period, inflation for food at home was lower.

Price Inflation for Food at home since 1947

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

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1973 (16.29%), 1974 (14.85%), and 2022 (11.42%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20.00 since 1947

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Food at home, over time, for $20 beginning in 1947. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1947	$20.00	-
1948	$21.67	8.35%
1949	$20.82	-3.93%
1950	$21.09	1.30%
1951	$23.46	11.22%
1952	$23.89	1.84%
1953	$23.44	-1.89%
1954	$23.32	-0.52%
1955	$22.84	-2.05%
1956	$22.97	0.59%
1957	$23.71	3.23%
1958	$24.75	4.35%
1959	$24.15	-2.40%
1960	$24.37	0.91%
1961	$24.58	0.85%
1962	$24.75	0.71%
1963	$25.06	1.25%
1964	$25.37	1.21%
1965	$25.94	2.26%
1966	$27.28	5.15%
1967	$27.18	-0.35%
1968	$28.06	3.23%
1969	$29.43	4.90%
1970	$30.90	5.00%
1971	$31.65	2.42%
1972	$33.05	4.44%
1973	$38.44	16.29%
1974	$44.15	14.85%
1975	$47.79	8.25%
1976	$48.80	2.12%
1977	$51.70	5.93%
1978	$57.14	10.53%
1979	$63.32	10.81%
1980	$68.38	8.00%
1981	$73.38	7.31%
1982	$75.91	3.45%
1983	$76.72	1.06%
1984	$79.55	3.70%
1985	$80.70	1.43%
1986	$83.01	2.86%
1987	$86.59	4.32%
1988	$90.20	4.17%
1989	$96.13	6.57%
1990	$102.41	6.53%
1991	$105.13	2.66%
1992	$105.89	0.72%
1993	$108.40	2.36%
1994	$111.51	2.87%
1995	$115.12	3.24%
1996	$119.42	3.73%
1997	$122.39	2.49%
1998	$124.71	1.89%
1999	$127.09	1.91%
2000	$129.93	2.24%
2001	$134.18	3.27%
2002	$135.92	1.30%
2003	$138.84	2.15%
2004	$144.10	3.79%
2005	$146.88	1.93%
2006	$149.46	1.76%
2007	$155.75	4.21%
2008	$165.72	6.40%
2009	$166.49	0.47%
2010	$167.04	0.33%
2011	$175.07	4.80%
2012	$179.38	2.46%
2013	$181.00	0.90%
2014	$185.33	2.39%
2015	$187.49	1.17%
2016	$185.02	-1.31%
2017	$184.65	-0.20%
2018	$185.48	0.45%
2019	$187.12	0.88%
2020	$193.67	3.50%
2021	$200.37	3.46%
2022	$223.24	11.42%
2023	$234.45	5.02%
2024	$237.24	1.19%
2025	$242.63	2.27%
2026	$247.96	2.20%*

* 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 Food at home:

Year	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	25.842	28.000	26.900	27.250	30.308	30.867	30.283	30.125	29.508	29.683	30.642	31.975	31.208	31.492	31.758	31.983	32.383	32.775	33.517	35.242	35.117	36.250	38.025	39.925	40.892	42.708	49.667	57.042	61.750	63.058	66.800	73.833	81.817	88.358	94.817	98.083	99.125	102.792	104.267	107.250	111.883	116.550	124.208	132.317	135.842	136.825	140.058	144.083	148.750	154.300	158.142	161.133	164.208	167.883	173.367	175.617	179.392	186.183	189.775	193.117	201.245	214.125	215.124	215.835	226.201	231.774	233.869	239.456	242.250	239.065	238.589	239.661	241.774	250.233	258.892	288.451	302.929	306.536	313.497	320.391

Adjust food at home prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2026 / CPI in 1947* 1947 USD value = 2026 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Food at home was 25.842 in the year 1947 and 320.391 in 2026:

320.391 / 25.842* $20 = $247.96

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1947 has the same "purchasing power" as $247.96 in 2026 (in the CPI category of Food at home).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Food at home in 1947. In addition to food at home, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.