Services priced at $20 in 1974 $183.57 in 2024

Services Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Services, 1974-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for services are 817.87% higher in 2024 versus 1974 (a $163.57 difference in value).

Between 1974 and 2024: Services experienced an average inflation rate of 4.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, services costing $20 in the year 1974 would cost $183.57 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.77% during this same period, inflation for services was higher.

In the year 1974: Pricing changed by 9.37%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for services during the 1974-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1974 (11.05%), inflation for services was lower.

Price Inflation for Services since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (15.40%), 1981 (13.12%), and 1979 (11.04%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20.00 since 1974

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Services, over time, for $20 beginning in 1974. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1974$20.009.37%
1975$21.929.59%
1976$23.728.23%
1977$25.557.73%
1978$27.748.55%
1979$30.8011.04%
1980$35.5415.40%
1981$40.2113.12%
1982$43.849.04%
1983$45.363.46%
1984$47.745.26%
1985$50.175.09%
1986$52.674.98%
1987$54.864.15%
1988$57.364.56%
1989$60.194.93%
1990$63.535.54%
1991$66.795.13%
1992$69.403.91%
1993$72.053.83%
1994$74.453.32%
1995$76.983.41%
1996$79.473.23%
1997$81.893.04%
1998$84.082.67%
1999$86.192.51%
2000$89.153.43%
2001$92.854.16%
2002$95.773.14%
2003$98.823.19%
2004$101.702.91%
2005$105.033.28%
2006$109.033.81%
2007$112.683.34%
2008$116.623.50%
2009$118.291.43%
2010$119.260.82%
2011$121.311.72%
2012$123.872.11%
2013$126.862.42%
2014$130.152.59%
2015$133.142.30%
2016$136.912.83%
2017$140.632.71%
2018$144.522.77%
2019$148.402.68%
2020$151.542.11%
2021$155.852.85%
2022$165.516.20%
2023$175.516.04%
2024$183.574.60%*

* 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 Services:

Year193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI11.80011.90012.32012.50012.50012.56012.72013.16013.42013.72013.88014.18014.78015.72016.44016.94017.86018.68019.46020.04020.44020.93821.80022.62323.30024.04624.55425.01525.50025.97726.59227.58528.80830.30032.40835.05436.99238.43140.06243.81548.01551.96955.98560.76967.47777.86988.08596.04699.369104.592109.915115.392120.177125.662131.862139.169146.315152.031157.854163.092168.654174.108179.408184.200188.815195.300203.423209.808216.492222.792230.100238.869246.848255.498259.154261.274265.762271.374277.929285.126291.683299.947308.085316.607325.106331.980341.428362.587384.494402.168

Adjust services prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1974 * 1974 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Services was 43.815 in the year 1974 and 402.168 in 2024:

402.168 / 43.815 * $20 = $183.57

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1974 has the same "purchasing power" as $183.57 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Services).


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

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