White bread priced at $1.61 in 1939 → $45.30 in 2022

White Bread Inflation Calculator

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Prices for White Bread, 1939-2022 ($1.61)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for white bread are 2,713.51% higher in 2022 versus 1939 (a $43.69 difference in value).

The current national average price is $1.61 for "Bread, white, pan, per lb. (453.6 gm)". This data is collected by a national survey and can vary from region to region.

Between 1939 and 2022: White bread experienced an average inflation rate of 4.10% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, white bread costing $1.61 in the year 1939 would cost $45.30 in 2022 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.71% during this same period, inflation for white bread was higher.

Price Inflation for White bread since 1939

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1974 (25.01%), 1947 (20.61%), and 1946 (18.10%).

Price history

The average price for White bread is calculated from a weighted average of retailer data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Inflation rate is also calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The table below shows average prices and their corresponding "real" prices adjusted for inflation rate. To understand how price levels differ from inflation rates, see this article published by the BLS.

Average prices for Bread, white, pan, per lb. (453.6 gm):

Year Average price (White bread) Inflation adjusted price (2022 dollars)
2022 $1.61 (latest available value) $1.61
2021 $1.52 $1.60
2020 $1.45 $1.54
2019 $1.30 $1.44
2018 $1.29 $1.47
2017 $1.33 $1.52
2016 $1.37 $1.57
2015 $1.44 $1.65
2014 $1.40 $1.62
2013 $1.41 $1.62
2012 $1.42 $1.66
2011 $1.44 $1.74
2010 $1.37 $1.74
2009 $1.39 $1.72
2008 $1.37 $1.72
2007 $1.21 $1.73
2006 $1.08 $1.68
2005 $1.04 $1.66
2004 $0.97 $1.61
2003 $1.00 $1.69
2002 $1.02 $1.76
2001 $1.00 $1.77
2000 $0.93 $1.73
1999 $0.89 $1.70
1998 $0.86 $1.70
1997 $0.87 $1.75
1996 $0.88 $1.82
1995 $0.79 $1.77
1994 $0.76 $1.77
1993 $0.75 $1.83
1992 $0.75 $1.90
1991 $0.71 $1.88
1990 $0.69 $1.88
1989 $0.67 $1.90
1988 $0.61 $1.91
1987 $0.55 $1.83
1986 $0.56 $1.94
1985 $0.55 $1.93
1984 $0.54 $1.94
1983 $0.54 $2.00
1982 $0.53 $2.03
1981 $0.53 $2.09
1980 $0.51 $2.19
View price changes for other categories
Bread · San Francisco, California · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · New York · More

Buying power of $1.61 since 1939

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for White bread, over time, for $1.61 beginning in 1939. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year USD Value Inflation Rate
1939 $1.61 -
1940 $1.65 2.57%
1941 $1.66 0.57%
1942 $1.77 6.86%
1943 $1.78 0.05%
1944 $1.76 -0.74%
1945 $1.76 0.11%
1946 $2.08 18.10%
1947 $2.51 20.61%
1948 $2.79 11.02%
1949 $2.81 0.68%
1950 $2.86 1.98%
1951 $3.14 9.50%
1952 $3.22 2.76%
1953 $3.32 2.92%
1954 $3.45 4.06%
1955 $3.56 3.08%
1956 $3.64 2.28%
1957 $3.81 4.66%
1958 $3.92 2.82%
1959 $4.00 2.04%
1960 $4.12 3.11%
1961 $4.25 3.04%
1962 $4.31 1.53%
1963 $4.40 2.05%
1964 $4.43 0.62%
1965 $4.48 1.26%
1966 $4.75 6.03%
1967 $4.84 1.74%
1968 $4.86 0.53%
1969 $5.01 3.00%
1970 $5.28 5.47%
1971 $5.43 2.85%
1972 $5.46 0.57%
1973 $6.13 12.17%
1974 $7.66 25.01%
1975 $8.02 4.70%
1976 $7.87 -1.89%
1977 $7.88 0.07%
1978 $8.40 6.71%
1979 $9.41 11.93%
1980 $10.52 11.87%
1981 $11.41 8.42%
1982 $11.85 3.85%
1983 $12.25 3.38%
1984 $12.65 3.25%
1985 $12.96 2.52%
1986 $13.19 1.76%
1987 $13.55 2.75%
1988 $14.53 7.18%
1989 $15.84 9.07%
1990 $16.71 5.45%
1991 $17.06 2.11%
1992 $17.90 4.92%
1993 $18.64 4.13%
1994 $19.47 4.47%
1995 $20.26 4.08%
1996 $21.74 7.28%
1997 $22.51 3.55%
1998 $22.94 1.88%
1999 $23.57 2.76%
2000 $24.38 3.43%
2001 $25.51 4.64%
2002 $26.13 2.45%
2003 $26.77 2.44%
2004 $27.35 2.15%
2005 $28.43 3.95%
2006 $29.15 2.53%
2007 $31.59 8.40%
2008 $36.04 14.06%
2009 $36.47 1.21%
2010 $35.74 -2.00%
2011 $37.57 5.11%
2012 $38.61 2.78%
2013 $39.38 1.99%
2014 $39.15 -0.58%
2015 $39.64 1.24%
2016 $39.56 -0.20%
2017 $39.61 0.13%
2018 $39.66 0.13%
2019 $40.85 3.00%
2020 $42.60 4.29%
2021 $43.08 1.13%
2022 $45.30 5.14%*
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.

Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for White bread:

Year 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
CPI 13.146 13.485 13.562 14.492 14.500 14.392 14.408 17.015 20.523 22.785 22.938 23.392 25.615 26.323 27.092 28.192 29.062 29.723 31.108 31.985 32.638 33.654 34.677 35.208 35.931 36.154 36.608 38.815 39.492 39.700 40.892 43.131 44.362 44.615 50.046 62.562 65.500 64.262 64.308 68.623 76.808 85.923 93.154 96.738 100.008 103.254 105.854 107.715 110.677 118.623 129.377 136.423 139.300 146.154 152.185 158.985 165.469 177.523 183.831 187.285 192.454 199.054 208.285 213.392 218.592 223.300 232.115 237.985 257.975 294.237 297.789 291.831 306.751 315.273 321.536 319.665 323.644 322.998 323.418 323.829 333.552 347.861 351.797 369.868

Adjust white bread prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2022 / CPI in 1939 * 1939 USD value = 2022 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for White bread was 13.146 in the year 1939 and 369.868 in 2022:

369.868 / 13.146 * $1.61 = $45.30

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1.61 in 1939 has the same "purchasing power" as $45.30 in 2022 (in the CPI category of White bread).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for White bread in 1939. In addition to white bread, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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