Food priced at $20 in 1946 $339.65 in 2025

Food Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Food, 1946-2025 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for food are 1,598.25% higher in 2025 versus 1946 (a $319.65 difference in value).

Between 1946 and 2025: Food experienced an average inflation rate of 3.65% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, food costing $20 in the year 1946 would cost $339.65 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.60% during this same period, inflation for food was higher.

In the year 1946: Pricing changed by 14.80%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for food during the 1946-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1946 (8.47%), inflation for food was much higher.

Price Inflation for Food since 1913

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1917 (28.65%), 1921 (-24.20%), and 1947 (21.43%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20.00 since 1946

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Food, 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$20.0014.80%
1947$24.2921.43%
1948$26.338.41%
1949$25.30-3.92%
1950$25.631.32%
1951$28.4911.15%
1952$28.991.77%
1953$28.53-1.58%
1954$28.50-0.11%
1955$28.07-1.50%
1956$28.280.75%
1957$29.193.21%
1958$30.454.31%
1959$29.94-1.68%
1960$30.301.19%
1961$30.641.15%
1962$30.920.89%
1963$31.361.43%
1964$31.771.31%
1965$32.482.22%
1966$34.125.07%
1967$34.380.75%
1968$35.623.61%
1969$37.455.14%
1970$39.575.64%
1971$40.732.94%
1972$42.484.31%
1973$48.6314.46%
1974$55.6314.40%
1975$60.358.49%
1976$62.203.07%
1977$66.136.30%
1978$72.739.98%
1979$80.6610.91%
1980$87.598.59%
1981$94.437.82%
1982$98.264.05%
1983$100.332.11%
1984$104.193.85%
1985$106.552.27%
1986$109.963.20%
1987$114.544.17%
1988$119.284.13%
1989$126.245.84%
1990$133.605.83%
1991$137.522.93%
1992$139.181.20%
1993$142.172.15%
1994$145.622.42%
1995$149.802.87%
1996$154.713.28%
1997$158.742.60%
1998$162.182.17%
1999$165.632.13%
2000$169.382.26%
2001$174.703.14%
2002$177.861.81%
2003$181.652.13%
2004$187.913.44%
2005$192.502.44%
2006$197.002.34%
2007$204.813.97%
2008$216.105.51%
2009$219.991.80%
2010$221.670.77%
2011$229.963.74%
2012$235.962.61%
2013$239.251.39%
2014$244.992.40%
2015$249.541.86%
2016$250.240.28%
2017$252.390.86%
2018$255.921.40%
2019$260.721.88%
2020$269.713.45%
2021$280.343.94%
2022$308.239.95%
2023$325.975.76%
2024$333.342.26%
2025$339.651.89%*

* 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:

Year19131914191519161917191819191920192119221923192419251926192719281929193019311932193319341935193619371938193919401941194219431944194519461947194819491950195119521953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
CPI9.92310.15410.05411.27714.50816.70018.57720.97715.90014.89215.38515.23116.50017.04616.43116.24616.45415.64612.90010.72310.41511.60812.45412.56913.08512.13811.82311.98513.07715.38517.10016.87717.26219.81524.06226.08525.06225.39228.22328.72328.26928.23827.81528.02328.92330.16929.66230.01530.36230.63131.06931.47732.17733.80834.06235.29237.10839.20040.35442.09248.17755.11559.79261.63165.51572.05479.91586.77793.56297.35499.408103.231105.569108.946113.485118.177125.077132.369136.254137.892140.862144.277148.415153.285157.277160.685164.100167.815173.085176.215179.977186.177190.723195.177202.916214.106217.955219.625227.842233.777237.037242.725247.235247.931250.065253.558258.316267.219277.756305.388322.965330.263336.514

Adjust food prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2025 / CPI in 1946 * 1946 USD value = 2025 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Food was 19.815 in the year 1946 and 336.514 in 2025:

336.514 / 19.815 * $20 = $339.65

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1946 has the same "purchasing power" as $339.65 in 2025 (in the CPI category of Food).


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

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