According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for sugar and sweets are 2,574.60% higher in 2024 versus 1940 (a $514.92 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2024: Sugar and sweets experienced an average inflation rate of 3.99% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, sugar and sweets costing $20 in the year 1940 would cost $534.92 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.77% during this same period, inflation for sugar and sweets was higher.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -3.83%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for sugar and sweets during the 1940-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for sugar and sweets was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Sugar and sweets, over time, for $20 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $20.00 | -3.83% |
| 1941 | $21.98 | 9.89% |
| 1942 | $26.15 | 18.96% |
| 1943 | $26.24 | 0.38% |
| 1944 | $26.07 | -0.65% |
| 1945 | $26.07 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $29.73 | 14.02% |
| 1947 | $37.18 | 25.07% |
| 1948 | $35.95 | -3.33% |
| 1949 | $36.44 | 1.39% |
| 1950 | $37.16 | 1.95% |
| 1951 | $38.53 | 3.71% |
| 1952 | $38.88 | 0.89% |
| 1953 | $39.30 | 1.10% |
| 1954 | $40.11 | 2.06% |
| 1955 | $41.00 | 2.20% |
| 1956 | $40.00 | -2.43% |
| 1957 | $41.21 | 3.02% |
| 1958 | $43.09 | 4.56% |
| 1959 | $43.98 | 2.08% |
| 1960 | $44.24 | 0.58% |
| 1961 | $43.34 | -2.03% |
| 1962 | $43.39 | 0.10% |
| 1963 | $47.07 | 8.49% |
| 1964 | $49.40 | 4.96% |
| 1965 | $48.52 | -1.79% |
| 1966 | $47.58 | -1.93% |
| 1967 | $49.05 | 3.08% |
| 1968 | $50.71 | 3.39% |
| 1969 | $53.51 | 5.53% |
| 1970 | $56.44 | 5.48% |
| 1971 | $58.52 | 3.68% |
| 1972 | $59.29 | 1.31% |
| 1973 | $62.92 | 6.12% |
| 1974 | $95.78 | 52.23% |
| 1975 | $120.78 | 26.11% |
| 1976 | $107.01 | -11.40% |
| 1977 | $112.49 | 5.12% |
| 1978 | $126.33 | 12.30% |
| 1979 | $136.17 | 7.79% |
| 1980 | $167.40 | 22.93% |
| 1981 | $180.64 | 7.91% |
| 1982 | $180.26 | -0.21% |
| 1983 | $183.66 | 1.89% |
| 1984 | $190.83 | 3.90% |
| 1985 | $195.62 | 2.51% |
| 1986 | $201.64 | 3.08% |
| 1987 | $205.26 | 1.80% |
| 1988 | $210.83 | 2.71% |
| 1989 | $220.80 | 4.73% |
| 1990 | $230.58 | 4.43% |
| 1991 | $239.08 | 3.68% |
| 1992 | $246.05 | 2.92% |
| 1993 | $246.60 | 0.23% |
| 1994 | $250.01 | 1.38% |
| 1995 | $254.31 | 1.72% |
| 1996 | $265.66 | 4.46% |
| 1997 | $273.27 | 2.86% |
| 1998 | $277.68 | 1.61% |
| 1999 | $281.61 | 1.41% |
| 2000 | $284.72 | 1.11% |
| 2001 | $287.99 | 1.15% |
| 2002 | $293.95 | 2.07% |
| 2003 | $299.60 | 1.92% |
| 2004 | $301.71 | 0.70% |
| 2005 | $305.42 | 1.23% |
| 2006 | $317.06 | 3.81% |
| 2007 | $326.89 | 3.10% |
| 2008 | $345.02 | 5.55% |
| 2009 | $364.17 | 5.55% |
| 2010 | $372.14 | 2.19% |
| 2011 | $384.33 | 3.27% |
| 2012 | $396.97 | 3.29% |
| 2013 | $390.17 | -1.71% |
| 2014 | $387.07 | -0.79% |
| 2015 | $399.65 | 3.25% |
| 2016 | $398.19 | -0.37% |
| 2017 | $397.71 | -0.12% |
| 2018 | $399.15 | 0.36% |
| 2019 | $407.28 | 2.04% |
| 2020 | $420.87 | 3.34% |
| 2021 | $433.38 | 2.97% |
| 2022 | $478.51 | 10.41% |
| 2023 | $519.96 | 8.66% |
| 2024 | $534.92 | 2.88%* |
* 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 Sugar and sweets:
| 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 | 11.246 | 11.115 | 11.300 | 10.923 | 11.246 | 10.815 | 11.885 | 14.138 | 14.192 | 14.100 | 14.100 | 16.077 | 20.108 | 19.438 | 19.708 | 20.092 | 20.838 | 21.023 | 21.254 | 21.692 | 22.169 | 21.631 | 22.285 | 23.300 | 23.785 | 23.923 | 23.438 | 23.462 | 25.454 | 26.715 | 26.238 | 25.731 | 26.523 | 27.423 | 28.938 | 30.523 | 31.646 | 32.062 | 34.023 | 51.792 | 65.315 | 57.869 | 60.831 | 68.315 | 73.638 | 90.523 | 97.685 | 97.477 | 99.315 | 103.192 | 105.785 | 109.038 | 111.000 | 114.008 | 119.400 | 124.692 | 129.285 | 133.054 | 133.354 | 135.200 | 137.523 | 143.662 | 147.777 | 150.162 | 152.285 | 153.969 | 155.738 | 158.962 | 162.015 | 163.154 | 165.162 | 171.454 | 176.772 | 186.577 | 196.933 | 201.242 | 207.832 | 214.670 | 210.992 | 209.317 | 216.118 | 215.329 | 215.068 | 215.850 | 220.246 | 227.591 | 234.359 | 258.765 | 281.176 | 289.268 |