Instant coffee priced at $20 in 1977 $45.22 in 2024

Instant Coffee Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Instant Coffee, 1977-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for instant coffee are 126.11% higher in 2024 versus 1977 (a $25.22 difference in value).

Between 1977 and 2024: Instant coffee experienced an average inflation rate of 1.75% per year. In other words, instant coffee costing $20 in the year 1977 would cost $45.22 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.56% during this same period, inflation for instant coffee was lower.

In the year 1977: Pricing changed by 51.17%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for instant coffee during the 1977-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1977 (6.50%), inflation for instant coffee was much higher.

Price Inflation for Instant coffee since 1961

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1977 (51.17%), 1976 (27.65%), and 1986 (21.02%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1977

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Instant coffee, over time, for $20 beginning in 1977. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1977$20.0051.17%
1978$21.055.24%
1979$20.15-4.24%
1980$21.898.61%
1981$19.63-10.33%
1982$20.001.90%
1983$20.412.02%
1984$21.274.24%
1985$22.063.69%
1986$26.6921.02%
1987$24.78-7.16%
1988$24.20-2.34%
1989$24.330.55%
1990$24.23-0.41%
1991$24.07-0.69%
1992$23.56-2.10%
1993$23.43-0.57%
1994$27.6618.05%
1995$31.3813.45%
1996$30.33-3.33%
1997$31.614.21%
1998$31.700.28%
1999$32.974.01%
2000$32.92-0.13%
2001$33.481.67%
2002$33.690.63%
2003$33.810.37%
2004$34.151.02%
2005$36.236.07%
2006$36.781.53%
2007$38.885.72%
2008$42.088.22%
2009$41.30-1.86%
2010$40.92-0.92%
2011$43.466.20%
2012$44.071.41%
2013$42.70-3.11%
2014$42.19-1.20%
2015$41.85-0.82%
2016$40.56-3.07%
2017$40.560.00%
2018$38.66-4.70%
2019$38.860.53%
2020$38.32-1.40%
2021$38.781.22%
2022$42.9810.82%
2023$44.904.48%
2024$45.220.71%*

* 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 Instant coffee:

Year1961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI29.01428.29228.76233.43829.88528.63828.31528.79230.20833.83835.30035.13137.21544.66250.41564.35497.285102.38598.038106.47795.47797.29299.262103.469107.285129.838120.546117.723118.369117.885117.077114.615113.962134.531152.623147.538153.754154.190160.367160.154162.831163.854164.454166.131176.208178.908189.145204.694200.884199.038211.388214.372207.707205.218203.545197.301197.304188.031189.023186.379188.645209.055218.413219.973

Adjust instant coffee prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1977 * 1977 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Instant coffee was 97.285 in the year 1977 and 219.973 in 2024:

219.973 / 97.285 * $20 = $45.22

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1977 has the same "purchasing power" as $45.22 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Instant coffee).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Instant coffee in 1961. In addition to instant coffee, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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