According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for televisions are 99.08% lower in 2026 versus 1981 (a $990.82 difference in value).
Between 1981 and 2026:Televisions experienced an average inflation rate of -9.90% per year. This rate of change indicates significant deflation. In other words, televisions costing $1,000 in the year 1981 would cost $9.18 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.86% during this same period, inflation for televisions was significantly lower.
In the year 1981: Pricing changed by 0.81%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for televisions during the 1981-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1981 (10.33%), inflation for televisions was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Televisions, over time, for $1,000 beginning in 1981. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | $1,000.00 | 0.81% |
| 1982 | $987.20 | -1.28% |
| 1983 | $953.15 | -3.45% |
| 1984 | $904.80 | -5.07% |
| 1985 | $840.48 | -7.11% |
| 1986 | $788.89 | -6.14% |
| 1987 | $755.63 | -4.22% |
| 1988 | $735.88 | -2.61% |
| 1989 | $721.10 | -2.01% |
| 1990 | $707.67 | -1.86% |
| 1991 | $691.00 | -2.36% |
| 1992 | $686.34 | -0.67% |
| 1993 | $669.98 | -2.38% |
| 1994 | $662.95 | -1.05% |
| 1995 | $645.41 | -2.65% |
| 1996 | $611.44 | -5.26% |
| 1997 | $584.97 | -4.33% |
| 1998 | $561.51 | -4.01% |
| 1999 | $520.66 | -7.27% |
| 2000 | $473.33 | -9.09% |
| 2001 | $424.67 | -10.28% |
| 2002 | $380.34 | -10.44% |
| 2003 | $330.49 | -13.11% |
| 2004 | $284.59 | -13.89% |
| 2005 | $251.80 | -11.52% |
| 2006 | $211.66 | -15.94% |
| 2007 | $160.59 | -24.13% |
| 2008 | $132.59 | -17.44% |
| 2009 | $100.54 | -24.17% |
| 2010 | $75.71 | -24.70% |
| 2011 | $62.92 | -16.89% |
| 2012 | $51.47 | -18.20% |
| 2013 | $43.43 | -15.62% |
| 2014 | $37.31 | -14.08% |
| 2015 | $32.03 | -14.17% |
| 2016 | $25.86 | -19.24% |
| 2017 | $22.35 | -13.59% |
| 2018 | $18.64 | -16.61% |
| 2019 | $15.07 | -19.12% |
| 2020 | $12.96 | -14.00% |
| 2021 | $13.70 | 5.70% |
| 2022 | $12.22 | -10.78% |
| 2023 | $10.84 | -11.34% |
| 2024 | $10.17 | -6.13% |
| 2025 | $9.39 | -7.73% |
| 2026 | $9.18 | -2.24%* |
* 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 | 160.000 | 157.750 | 138.942 | 133.325 | 124.975 | 117.208 | 117.150 | 122.117 | 124.875 | 126.325 | 127.375 | 124.333 | 118.283 | 115.083 | 112.967 | 109.883 | 102.392 | 100.283 | 99.933 | 99.775 | 99.892 | 100.292 | 99.700 | 98.225 | 99.133 | 101.808 | 103.108 | 101.892 | 101.817 | 103.217 | 104.625 | 105.475 | 104.125 | 100.533 | 95.433 | 88.650 | 83.208 | 79.700 | 77.617 | 76.058 | 74.642 | 72.883 | 72.392 | 70.667 | 69.925 | 68.075 | 64.492 | 61.700 | 59.225 | 54.917 | 49.925 | 44.792 | 40.117 | 34.858 | 30.017 | 26.558 | 22.325 | 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 | 1.073 | 0.990 | 0.968 |