Fuels and utilities priced at $20 in 1970 $215.92 in 2024

Fuels And Utilities Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Fuels And Utilities, 1970-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for fuels and utilities are 979.58% higher in 2024 versus 1970 (a $195.92 difference in value).

Between 1970 and 2024: Fuels and utilities experienced an average inflation rate of 4.50% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, fuels and utilities costing $20 in the year 1970 would cost $215.92 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.94% during this same period, inflation for fuels and utilities was higher.

In the year 1970: Pricing changed by 3.87%, which is below the average yearly change for fuels and utilities during the 1970-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1970 (5.83%), inflation for fuels and utilities was lower.

Price Inflation for Fuels and utilities since 1952

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1974 (18.34%), 1980 (16.43%), and 1981 (14.60%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1970

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Fuels and utilities, over time, for $20 beginning in 1970. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1970$20.003.87%
1971$21.366.81%
1972$22.304.40%
1973$23.585.73%
1974$27.9118.34%
1975$31.1811.73%
1976$33.948.86%
1977$37.5710.69%
1978$40.136.82%
1979$44.4610.78%
1980$51.7616.43%
1981$59.3214.60%
1982$65.189.87%
1983$68.815.57%
1984$71.984.61%
1985$73.141.61%
1986$71.48-2.27%
1987$70.74-1.04%
1988$71.701.37%
1989$73.993.19%
1990$76.633.57%
1991$79.133.27%
1992$80.882.20%
1993$83.292.98%
1994$84.301.21%
1995$84.900.71%
1996$87.543.12%
1997$89.772.55%
1998$88.20-1.75%
1999$88.430.26%
2000$94.677.06%
2001$103.108.90%
2002$98.56-4.40%
2003$106.107.65%
2004$111.154.76%
2005$122.9210.59%
2006$133.678.75%
2007$137.753.05%
2008$151.069.66%
2009$144.66-4.24%
2010$147.051.66%
2011$151.302.89%
2012$150.35-0.63%
2013$154.622.84%
2014$161.064.17%
2015$158.00-1.90%
2016$157.12-0.55%
2017$162.933.70%
2018$165.841.79%
2019$166.560.43%
2020$167.490.56%
2021$178.886.80%
2022$204.7414.46%
2023$209.732.44%
2024$215.922.95%*

* 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 Fuels and utilities:

Year1952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI22.20022.47722.58523.06223.62324.32324.81525.36925.94626.26226.33126.56226.63826.63126.73827.06227.41528.04629.13131.11532.48534.34640.64645.41549.43854.72358.45464.75475.39286.40094.931100.223104.838106.531104.115103.031104.438107.769111.615115.262117.800121.315122.785123.654127.508130.754128.462128.800137.892150.169143.562154.538161.892179.038194.700200.632220.018210.696214.187220.367218.986225.207234.589230.129228.855237.315241.554242.598243.949260.540298.208305.478314.490

Adjust fuels and utilities prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1970 * 1970 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Fuels and utilities was 29.131 in the year 1970 and 314.490 in 2024:

314.490 / 29.131 * $20 = $215.92

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1970 has the same "purchasing power" as $215.92 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Fuels and utilities).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Fuels and utilities in 1952. In addition to fuels and utilities, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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