$1 in 1940 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1.01 in 1938, a difference of $0.01 over 2 years. The dollar had an average deflation rate of -0.36% per year since 1938, producing a cumulative price change of 0.71%.
This means that prices in 1938 are 1.01 times as high as average prices since 1940, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1938 was -2.08%. The inflation rate in 1940 was 0.72%. The 1940 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 3.77% per year between 1940 and 2024.
Cumulative price change | 0.71% |
Average inflation rate | -0.36% |
Converted amount $1 base | $1.01 |
Price difference $1 base | $0.01 |
CPI in 1940 | 14.000 |
CPI in 1938 | 14.100 |
Inflation in 1938 | -2.08% |
Inflation in 1940 | 0.72% |
$1 in 1940 | $1.01 in 1938 |
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $1 in 1938 (price index tracking began in 1635).
For example, if you started with $1, you would need to end with $1.01 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, each of these USD amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1938 amounts in 1940 dollars, based on the 0.71% change in prices:
Initial value | Equivalent value |
---|---|
$1 dollar in 1938 | $0.99 dollars in 1940 |
$5 dollars in 1938 | $4.96 dollars in 1940 |
$10 dollars in 1938 | $9.93 dollars in 1940 |
$50 dollars in 1938 | $49.65 dollars in 1940 |
$100 dollars in 1938 | $99.29 dollars in 1940 |
$500 dollars in 1938 | $496.45 dollars in 1940 |
$1,000 dollars in 1938 | $992.91 dollars in 1940 |
$5,000 dollars in 1938 | $4,964.54 dollars in 1940 |
$10,000 dollars in 1938 | $9,929.08 dollars in 1940 |
$50,000 dollars in 1938 | $49,645.39 dollars in 1940 |
$100,000 dollars in 1938 | $99,290.78 dollars in 1940 |
$500,000 dollars in 1938 | $496,453.90 dollars in 1940 |
$1,000,000 dollars in 1938 | $992,907.80 dollars in 1940 |
Inflation can vary widely by city, even within the United States. Here's how some cities fared in 1940 to 1938 (figures shown are purchasing power equivalents of $1):
New York experienced the highest rate of inflation during the 2 years between 1938 and 1940 (0.28%).
Detroit, Michigan experienced the lowest rate of inflation during the 2 years between 1938 and 1940 (-1.44%).
Note that some locations showing 0% inflation may have not yet reported latest data.
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £1.00 in 1940 would be equivalent to £0.83 in 1938, an absolute change of £-0.17 and a cumulative change of -16.83%.
In Canada, CA$1.00 in 1940 would be equivalent to CA$0.97 in 1938, an absolute change of CA$-0.03 and a cumulative change of -3.34%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $0.01 and total percent change of 0.71%.
CPI is the weighted combination of many categories of spending that are tracked by the government. Breaking down these categories helps explain the main drivers behind price changes.
This chart shows the average rate of inflation for select CPI categories between 1940 and 1938.
Compare these values to the overall average of -0.36% per year:
Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $1 in 1938 → 1940 |
---|---|---|---|
Food and beverages | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Housing | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Apparel | -0.10 | -0.21 | 1.00 |
Transportation | -1.38 | -2.74 | 0.97 |
Medical care | 0.29 | 0.58 | 1.01 |
Recreation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Education and communication | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Other goods and services | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
The graph below compares inflation in categories of goods over time. Click on a category such as "Food" to toggle it on or off:
For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1940. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1938 and 1940:
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 14 in the year 1940 and 14.1 in 1938:
$1 in 1940 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1.01 in 1938.
To get the total inflation rate for the 2 years between 1938 and 1940, we use the following formula:
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI), established in 1913. Price index data from 1774 to 1912 is sourced from a historical study conducted by political science professor Robert Sahr at Oregon State University and from the American Antiquarian Society. Price index data from 1634 to 1773 is from the American Antiquarian Society, using British pound equivalents.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “$1 in 1940 → 1938 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 24 Apr. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1940?amount=1&endYear=1938.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.
Cumulative price change | 0.71% |
Average inflation rate | -0.36% |
Converted amount $1 base | $1.01 |
Price difference $1 base | $0.01 |
CPI in 1940 | 14.000 |
CPI in 1938 | 14.100 |
Inflation in 1938 | -2.08% |
Inflation in 1940 | 0.72% |
$1 in 1940 | $1.01 in 1938 |