Potatoes price history from 1997 through 2020

Potatoes Inflation Calculator

Prices for Potatoes, 1997-2020 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for potatoes were 117.50% higher in 2020 versus 1997 (a $23.50 difference in value).

Between 1997 and 2020: Potatoes experienced an average inflation rate of 3.44% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, potatoes costing $20 in the year 1997 would cost $43.50 in 2020 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.10% during this same period, inflation for potatoes was higher.

In the year 1997: Pricing changed by -3.53%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for potatoes during the 1997-2020 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1997 (2.33%), inflation for potatoes was much lower.

Price Inflation for Potatoes since 1939

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

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1952 (49.64%), 1973 (48.51%), and 1942 (46.57%).

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

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	2020
CPI	9.215	8.869	8.754	12.831	17.415	17.708	18.831	18.054	19.408	21.546	20.992	17.623	19.323	28.915	21.131	20.485	22.138	26.392	22.269	24.431	24.608	28.008	24.738	24.931	25.723	31.615	39.115	31.285	31.292	32.100	34.423	38.008	36.700	39.592	58.800	71.800	57.685	62.608	63.800	66.269	63.592	80.969	109.508	92.708	91.300	115.992	101.546	96.138	116.038	119.131	153.500	162.592	144.554	141.492	154.577	174.285	174.654	180.569	174.192	185.154	193.100	196.338	202.331	238.477	228.077	231.077	247.708	273.131	280.432	324.624	318.491	301.971	338.469	320.445	322.525	330.050	326.901	333.003	338.832	341.681	362.013	378.868

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Buying power of $20 since 1997

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Potatoes, over time, for $20 beginning in 1997. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1997	$20.00	-3.53%
1998	$21.26	6.29%
1999	$22.17	4.29%
2000	$22.54	1.68%
2001	$23.23	3.05%
2002	$27.38	17.86%
2003	$26.19	-4.36%
2004	$26.53	1.32%
2005	$28.44	7.20%
2006	$31.36	10.26%
2007	$32.20	2.67%
2008	$37.27	15.76%
2009	$36.57	-1.89%
2010	$34.67	-5.19%
2011	$38.86	12.09%
2012	$36.79	-5.33%
2013	$37.03	0.65%
2014	$37.89	2.33%
2015	$37.53	-0.95%
2016	$38.23	1.87%
2017	$38.90	1.75%
2018	$39.23	0.84%
2019	$41.56	5.95%
2020	$43.50	4.66%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.

How to calculate the inflation rate for potatoes, 1997-2020

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2020 / CPI in 1997 * 1997 USD value = 2020 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Potatoes was 174.192 in the year 1997 and 378.868 in 2020:

378.868 / 174.192 * $20 = $43.50

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1997 has the same "purchasing power" as $43.50 in 2020 (in the CPI category of Potatoes).

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