Nondurables priced at $20 in 1946 $256.02 in 2024

Nondurables Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Nondurables, 1946-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for nondurables are 1,180.11% higher in 2024 versus 1946 (a $236.02 difference in value).

Between 1946 and 2024: Nondurables experienced an average inflation rate of 3.32% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, nondurables costing $20 in the year 1946 would cost $256.02 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.62% during this same period, inflation for nondurables was lower.

In the year 1946: Pricing changed by 12.59%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for nondurables during the 1946-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1946 (8.47%), inflation for nondurables was much higher.

Price Inflation for Nondurables since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1947 (19.78%), 1942 (14.55%), and 1974 (13.67%).

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 Nondurables, 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$20.0012.59%
1947$23.9619.78%
1948$25.536.56%
1949$24.68-3.33%
1950$25.031.42%
1951$27.349.23%
1952$27.540.74%
1953$27.50-0.13%
1954$27.43-0.27%
1955$27.30-0.47%
1956$27.661.32%
1957$28.533.14%
1958$29.262.57%
1959$29.16-0.34%
1960$29.531.24%
1961$29.800.92%
1962$30.040.81%
1963$30.411.25%
1964$30.721.01%
1965$31.271.81%
1966$32.423.66%
1967$33.041.93%
1968$34.323.87%
1969$35.974.81%
1970$37.694.78%
1971$38.903.21%
1972$40.193.31%
1973$43.899.20%
1974$49.8913.67%
1975$53.918.07%
1976$55.903.69%
1977$59.115.75%
1978$63.457.34%
1979$71.3412.43%
1980$80.9513.47%
1981$87.988.69%
1982$90.412.76%
1983$92.171.94%
1984$94.682.73%
1985$96.872.31%
1986$95.66-1.25%
1987$99.333.83%
1988$103.354.04%
1989$109.245.70%
1990$116.476.61%
1991$120.443.41%
1992$122.701.88%
1993$124.831.73%
1994$126.451.30%
1995$128.781.84%
1996$132.643.00%
1997$135.261.98%
1998$135.800.40%
1999$139.732.89%
2000$146.174.61%
2001$148.391.52%
2002$148.860.31%
2003$152.742.61%
2004$159.114.17%
2005$166.554.67%
2006$172.583.62%
2007$178.813.61%
2008$190.306.43%
2009$183.50-3.57%
2010$189.713.39%
2011$202.456.71%
2012$207.602.54%
2013$208.200.29%
2014$209.480.62%
2015$201.13-3.99%
2016$198.68-1.22%
2017$202.982.16%
2018$208.732.83%
2019$209.470.35%
2020$207.92-0.74%
2021$221.796.67%
2022$247.8211.73%
2023$253.662.36%
2024$256.020.93%*

* 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 Nondurables:

Year193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI13.90014.16714.68013.98013.68013.88014.98017.16018.56018.68019.22021.64025.92027.62026.70027.08029.58029.80029.76029.68029.54029.93130.86931.66231.55431.94632.23832.50032.90833.23833.83835.07735.75437.13838.92340.78542.09243.48547.48553.97758.33160.48563.96268.65477.18587.58595.19297.82399.723102.446104.815103.508107.477111.823118.200126.015130.315132.762135.062136.815139.338143.515146.354146.938151.185158.154160.562161.062165.269172.162180.208186.731193.468205.901198.548205.271219.049224.622225.271226.662217.624214.973219.620225.843226.642224.974239.982268.138274.459277.016

Adjust nondurables prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1946 * 1946 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Nondurables was 21.640 in the year 1946 and 277.016 in 2024:

277.016 / 21.640 * $20 = $256.02

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1946 has the same "purchasing power" as $256.02 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Nondurables).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Nondurables in 1935. In addition to nondurables, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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