According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for televisions are 98.94% lower in 2024 versus 1978 (a $989.39 difference in value).
Between 1978 and 2024: Televisions experienced an average inflation rate of -9.41% per year. This rate of change indicates significant deflation. In other words, televisions costing $1,000 in the year 1978 would cost $10.61 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.47% during this same period, inflation for televisions was significantly lower.
In the year 1978: Pricing changed by -0.08%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for televisions during the 1978-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1978 (7.63%), inflation for televisions was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Televisions, over time, for $1,000 beginning in 1978. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | $1,000.00 | -0.08% |
| 1979 | $1,013.75 | 1.38% |
| 1980 | $1,027.58 | 1.36% |
| 1981 | $1,035.96 | 0.82% |
| 1982 | $1,022.67 | -1.28% |
| 1983 | $987.38 | -3.45% |
| 1984 | $937.37 | -5.07% |
| 1985 | $870.73 | -7.11% |
| 1986 | $817.24 | -6.14% |
| 1987 | $782.79 | -4.22% |
| 1988 | $762.31 | -2.62% |
| 1989 | $747.05 | -2.00% |
| 1990 | $733.08 | -1.87% |
| 1991 | $715.85 | -2.35% |
| 1992 | $711.02 | -0.68% |
| 1993 | $694.09 | -2.38% |
| 1994 | $686.76 | -1.06% |
| 1995 | $668.63 | -2.64% |
| 1996 | $633.42 | -5.27% |
| 1997 | $606.00 | -4.33% |
| 1998 | $581.67 | -4.01% |
| 1999 | $539.36 | -7.27% |
| 2000 | $490.33 | -9.09% |
| 2001 | $439.94 | -10.28% |
| 2002 | $394.00 | -10.44% |
| 2003 | $342.40 | -13.10% |
| 2004 | $294.80 | -13.90% |
| 2005 | $260.88 | -11.51% |
| 2006 | $219.25 | -15.96% |
| 2007 | $166.36 | -24.12% |
| 2008 | $137.35 | -17.44% |
| 2009 | $104.16 | -24.17% |
| 2010 | $78.43 | -24.70% |
| 2011 | $65.18 | -16.89% |
| 2012 | $53.32 | -18.20% |
| 2013 | $44.99 | -15.62% |
| 2014 | $38.66 | -14.08% |
| 2015 | $33.18 | -14.17% |
| 2016 | $26.79 | -19.24% |
| 2017 | $23.15 | -13.59% |
| 2018 | $19.31 | -16.61% |
| 2019 | $15.61 | -19.12% |
| 2020 | $13.43 | -14.00% |
| 2021 | $14.19 | 5.70% |
| 2022 | $12.66 | -10.78% |
| 2023 | $11.23 | -11.34% |
| 2024 | $10.61 | -5.47%* |
* 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 |
| CPI | 160.000 | 155.800 | 137.240 | 132.420 | 123.280 | 116.860 | 117.860 | 123.000 | 124.820 | 126.540 | 127.280 | 123.480 | 117.500 | 114.820 | 111.967 | 106.700 | 102.280 | 100.277 | 99.938 | 99.777 | 99.900 | 100.292 | 99.700 | 98.223 | 99.131 | 101.808 | 103.108 | 101.892 | 101.815 | 103.215 | 104.623 | 105.477 | 104.123 | 100.531 | 95.438 | 88.654 | 83.208 | 79.700 | 77.615 | 76.062 | 74.638 | 72.885 | 72.392 | 70.669 | 69.923 | 68.077 | 64.492 | 61.700 | 59.223 | 54.915 | 49.923 | 44.792 | 40.115 | 34.862 | 30.015 | 26.562 | 22.323 | 16.938 | 13.984 | 10.605 | 7.985 | 6.636 | 5.429 | 4.581 | 3.936 | 3.378 | 2.728 | 2.357 | 1.966 | 1.590 | 1.367 | 1.445 | 1.289 | 1.143 | 1.081 |