According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for televisions are 99.04% lower in 2026 versus 1972 (a $990.37 difference in value).
Between 1972 and 2026:Televisions experienced an average inflation rate of -8.24% per year. This rate of change indicates significant deflation. In other words, televisions costing $1,000 in the year 1972 would cost $9.63 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.89% during this same period, inflation for televisions was significantly lower.
In the year 1972: Pricing changed by -0.59%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for televisions during the 1972-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1972 (3.27%), inflation for televisions was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Televisions, over time, for $1,000 beginning in 1972. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | $1,000.00 | -0.59% |
| 1973 | $985.21 | -1.48% |
| 1974 | $994.32 | 0.92% |
| 1975 | $1,021.15 | 2.70% |
| 1976 | $1,034.19 | 1.28% |
| 1977 | $1,021.98 | -1.18% |
| 1978 | $1,021.23 | -0.07% |
| 1979 | $1,035.27 | 1.37% |
| 1980 | $1,049.40 | 1.36% |
| 1981 | $1,057.92 | 0.81% |
| 1982 | $1,044.38 | -1.28% |
| 1983 | $1,008.36 | -3.45% |
| 1984 | $957.20 | -5.07% |
| 1985 | $889.17 | -7.11% |
| 1986 | $834.57 | -6.14% |
| 1987 | $799.49 | -4.20% |
| 1988 | $778.51 | -2.62% |
| 1989 | $762.87 | -2.01% |
| 1990 | $748.63 | -1.87% |
| 1991 | $731.11 | -2.34% |
| 1992 | $726.15 | -0.68% |
| 1993 | $708.75 | -2.40% |
| 1994 | $701.36 | -1.04% |
| 1995 | $682.76 | -2.65% |
| 1996 | $646.94 | -5.25% |
| 1997 | $618.79 | -4.35% |
| 1998 | $593.99 | -4.01% |
| 1999 | $550.96 | -7.24% |
| 2000 | $500.70 | -9.12% |
| 2001 | $449.09 | -10.31% |
| 2002 | $402.33 | -10.41% |
| 2003 | $349.69 | -13.08% |
| 2004 | $301.09 | -13.90% |
| 2005 | $266.41 | -11.52% |
| 2006 | $223.88 | -15.96% |
| 2007 | $169.89 | -24.11% |
| 2008 | $140.27 | -17.44% |
| 2009 | $106.37 | -24.17% |
| 2010 | $80.09 | -24.71% |
| 2011 | $66.56 | -16.89% |
| 2012 | $54.45 | -18.20% |
| 2013 | $45.95 | -15.62% |
| 2014 | $39.48 | -14.08% |
| 2015 | $33.88 | -14.17% |
| 2016 | $27.36 | -19.24% |
| 2017 | $23.64 | -13.59% |
| 2018 | $19.72 | -16.61% |
| 2019 | $15.95 | -19.12% |
| 2020 | $13.71 | -14.00% |
| 2021 | $14.50 | 5.70% |
| 2022 | $12.93 | -10.78% |
| 2023 | $11.47 | -11.34% |
| 2024 | $10.76 | -6.12% |
| 2025 | $9.90 | -8.03% |
| 2026 | $9.63 | -2.71%* |
* 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 Televisions:
| Year | 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 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 15573.500 | 15354.458 | 13523.750 | 12977.058 | 12164.333 | 11408.367 | 11402.708 | 11886.108 | 12154.592 | 12295.742 | 12397.933 | 12101.867 | 11513.017 | 11201.558 | 10995.483 | 10695.350 | 9966.192 | 9760.992 | 9726.917 | 9711.483 | 9722.858 | 9761.792 | 9704.200 | 9560.642 | 9649.050 | 9909.417 | 10035.942 | 9917.533 | 9910.233 | 10046.492 | 10183.558 | 10266.292 | 10134.892 | 9785.308 | 9288.908 | 8628.675 | 8098.817 | 7758.433 | 7554.808 | 7403.025 | 7264.817 | 7094.842 | 7046.725 | 6877.825 | 6806.125 | 6625.625 | 6278.000 | 6004.875 | 5764.175 | 5346.633 | 4858.925 | 4358.042 | 3904.267 | 3393.483 | 2921.833 | 2585.308 | 2172.575 | 1648.678 | 1361.177 | 1032.222 | 777.210 | 645.949 | 528.379 | 445.861 | 383.078 | 328.797 | 265.535 | 229.437 | 191.324 | 154.740 | 133.083 | 140.675 | 125.504 | 111.277 | 104.465 | 96.080 | 93.474 |