According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for motor vehicle insurance are 5,819.93% higher in 2024 versus 1948 (a $29,099.67 difference in value).
Between 1948 and 2024: Car insurance experienced an average inflation rate of 5.52% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, car insurance costing $500 in the year 1948 would cost $29,599.67 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.44% during this same period, inflation for car insurance was higher.
In the year 1948: Pricing changed by 20.68%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for car insurance during the 1948-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1948 (7.72%), inflation for car insurance was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Car insurance, over time, for $500 beginning in 1948. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | $500.00 | 20.68% |
| 1949 | $555.79 | 11.16% |
| 1950 | $516.24 | -7.12% |
| 1951 | $541.67 | 4.92% |
| 1952 | $647.60 | 19.56% |
| 1953 | $725.28 | 12.00% |
| 1954 | $718.22 | -0.97% |
| 1955 | $686.44 | -4.42% |
| 1956 | $670.90 | -2.26% |
| 1957 | $733.76 | 9.37% |
| 1958 | $836.86 | 14.05% |
| 1959 | $888.42 | 6.16% |
| 1960 | $908.90 | 2.31% |
| 1961 | $915.96 | 0.78% |
| 1962 | $907.49 | -0.93% |
| 1963 | $925.85 | 2.02% |
| 1964 | $976.93 | 5.52% |
| 1965 | $1,073.45 | 9.88% |
| 1966 | $1,142.66 | 6.45% |
| 1967 | $1,173.02 | 2.66% |
| 1968 | $1,200.56 | 2.35% |
| 1969 | $1,304.60 | 8.67% |
| 1970 | $1,483.59 | 13.72% |
| 1971 | $1,651.73 | 11.33% |
| 1972 | $1,645.21 | -0.39% |
| 1973 | $1,616.42 | -1.75% |
| 1974 | $1,617.23 | 0.05% |
| 1975 | $1,707.95 | 5.61% |
| 1976 | $2,200.40 | 28.83% |
| 1977 | $2,464.96 | 12.02% |
| 1978 | $2,536.94 | 2.92% |
| 1979 | $2,677.10 | 5.52% |
| 1980 | $2,896.30 | 8.19% |
| 1981 | $3,033.46 | 4.74% |
| 1982 | $3,228.49 | 6.43% |
| 1983 | $3,543.84 | 9.77% |
| 1984 | $3,820.35 | 7.80% |
| 1985 | $4,209.31 | 10.18% |
| 1986 | $4,768.31 | 13.28% |
| 1987 | $5,163.52 | 8.29% |
| 1988 | $5,529.39 | 7.09% |
| 1989 | $5,881.14 | 6.36% |
| 1990 | $6,280.69 | 6.79% |
| 1991 | $6,762.55 | 7.67% |
| 1992 | $7,255.54 | 7.29% |
| 1993 | $7,651.29 | 5.45% |
| 1994 | $7,938.12 | 3.75% |
| 1995 | $8,273.03 | 4.22% |
| 1996 | $8,610.66 | 4.08% |
| 1997 | $8,884.18 | 3.18% |
| 1998 | $8,978.98 | 1.07% |
| 1999 | $8,962.95 | -0.18% |
| 2000 | $9,065.08 | 1.14% |
| 2001 | $9,468.17 | 4.45% |
| 2002 | $10,296.07 | 8.74% |
| 2003 | $11,103.05 | 7.84% |
| 2004 | $11,412.16 | 2.78% |
| 2005 | $11,647.38 | 2.06% |
| 2006 | $11,715.29 | 0.58% |
| 2007 | $11,763.53 | 0.41% |
| 2008 | $12,059.30 | 2.51% |
| 2009 | $12,605.84 | 4.53% |
| 2010 | $13,247.87 | 5.09% |
| 2011 | $13,723.69 | 3.59% |
| 2012 | $14,211.72 | 3.56% |
| 2013 | $14,809.32 | 4.20% |
| 2014 | $15,438.52 | 4.25% |
| 2015 | $16,264.50 | 5.35% |
| 2016 | $17,272.21 | 6.20% |
| 2017 | $18,605.62 | 7.72% |
| 2018 | $19,984.35 | 7.41% |
| 2019 | $20,163.56 | 0.90% |
| 2020 | $19,231.39 | -4.62% |
| 2021 | $19,961.62 | 3.80% |
| 2022 | $21,533.90 | 7.88% |
| 2023 | $25,282.62 | 17.41% |
| 2024 | $29,599.67 | 17.08%* |
* 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 Motor vehicle insurance:
| Year | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 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 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| CPI | 8.900 | 8.900 | 8.900 | 8.900 | 8.900 | 8.800 | 9.000 | 9.900 | 9.000 | 8.700 | 8.700 | 10.400 | 11.733 | 14.160 | 15.740 | 14.620 | 15.340 | 18.340 | 20.540 | 20.340 | 19.440 | 19.000 | 20.780 | 23.700 | 25.160 | 25.740 | 25.940 | 25.700 | 26.220 | 27.667 | 30.400 | 32.360 | 33.220 | 34.000 | 36.946 | 42.015 | 46.777 | 46.592 | 45.777 | 45.800 | 48.369 | 62.315 | 69.808 | 71.846 | 75.815 | 82.023 | 85.908 | 91.431 | 100.362 | 108.192 | 119.208 | 135.038 | 146.231 | 156.592 | 166.554 | 177.869 | 191.515 | 205.477 | 216.685 | 224.808 | 234.292 | 243.854 | 251.600 | 254.285 | 253.831 | 256.723 | 268.138 | 291.585 | 314.438 | 323.192 | 329.854 | 331.777 | 333.143 | 341.519 | 356.997 | 375.180 | 388.655 | 402.476 | 419.400 | 437.219 | 460.611 | 489.149 | 526.911 | 565.957 | 571.032 | 544.633 | 565.313 | 609.840 | 716.004 | 838.263 |