Lettuce price history from 1981 through 2019

Lettuce Inflation Calculator

Prices for Lettuce, 1981-2019 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for lettuce were 280.23% higher in 2019 versus 1981 (a $56.05 difference in value).

Between 1981 and 2019: Lettuce experienced an average inflation rate of 3.58% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, lettuce costing $20 in the year 1981 would cost $76.05 in 2019 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.76% during this same period, inflation for lettuce was higher.

In the year 1981: Pricing changed by 8.55%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for lettuce during the 1981-2019 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1981 (10.33%), inflation for lettuce was lower.

Price Inflation for Lettuce since 1939

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

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1978 (36.12%), 1995 (29.84%), and 1942 (24.85%).

Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Lettuce:

Year	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	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
CPI	11.585	11.708	12.969	16.192	18.946	16.492	17.500	16.615	19.346	19.415	23.177	19.677	22.885	21.708	21.715	21.869	23.469	23.638	25.177	25.000	26.046	25.062	24.085	27.500	28.377	29.077	29.969	32.746	32.685	32.492	36.723	35.400	40.523	40.715	49.938	50.585	49.600	56.469	56.223	76.531	79.962	77.792	84.446	100.723	103.208	96.069	106.138	112.646	136.431	148.623	151.477	150.323	159.800	155.715	178.185	170.338	221.162	185.692	200.062	229.062	208.285	228.077	233.792	252.062	246.200	239.769	257.331	266.108	280.230	286.518	287.850	283.713	306.853	285.068	312.889	298.322	313.067	293.879	296.391	291.734	321.088

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Buying power of $20 since 1981

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Lettuce, over time, for $20 beginning in 1981. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1981	$20.00	8.55%
1982	$23.85	19.27%
1983	$24.44	2.47%
1984	$22.75	-6.92%
1985	$25.14	10.48%
1986	$26.68	6.13%
1987	$32.31	21.11%
1988	$35.20	8.94%
1989	$35.88	1.92%
1990	$35.60	-0.76%
1991	$37.85	6.30%
1992	$36.88	-2.56%
1993	$42.20	14.43%
1994	$40.34	-4.40%
1995	$52.38	29.84%
1996	$43.98	-16.04%
1997	$47.38	7.74%
1998	$54.25	14.50%
1999	$49.33	-9.07%
2000	$54.02	9.50%
2001	$55.37	2.51%
2002	$59.70	7.81%
2003	$58.31	-2.33%
2004	$56.79	-2.61%
2005	$60.95	7.32%
2006	$63.02	3.41%
2007	$66.37	5.31%
2008	$67.86	2.24%
2009	$68.17	0.46%
2010	$67.19	-1.44%
2011	$72.67	8.16%
2012	$67.51	-7.10%
2013	$74.10	9.76%
2014	$70.65	-4.66%
2015	$74.15	4.94%
2016	$69.60	-6.13%
2017	$70.20	0.85%
2018	$69.09	-1.57%
2019	$76.05	10.06%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.

How to calculate the inflation rate for lettuce, 1981-2019

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2019 / CPI in 1981 * 1981 USD value = 2019 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Lettuce was 84.446 in the year 1981 and 321.088 in 2019:

321.088 / 84.446 * $20 = $76.05

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1981 has the same "purchasing power" as $76.05 in 2019 (in the CPI category of Lettuce).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Lettuce in 1939. In addition to lettuce, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.