$33.31 in 1970 is worth $31.51 in 1969

Inflation by City

Inflation can vary widely by city, even within the United States. Here's how some cities fared in 1970 to 1969 (figures shown are purchasing power equivalents of $33.31):

• New York: 7.42% average rate, $33.31 → $35.78, cumulative change of 7.42%
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 6.72% average rate, $33.31 → $35.55, cumulative change of 6.72%
• Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas: 6.22% average rate, $33.31 → $35.38, cumulative change of 6.22%
• Detroit, Michigan: 6.18% average rate, $33.31 → $35.37, cumulative change of 6.18%
• Boston, Massachusetts: 6.11% average rate, $33.31 → $35.34, cumulative change of 6.11%
• Atlanta, Georgia: 5.73% average rate, $33.31 → $35.22, cumulative change of 5.73%
• Chicago, Illinois: 5.73% average rate, $33.31 → $35.22, cumulative change of 5.73%
• San Francisco, California: 5.36% average rate, $33.31 → $35.09, cumulative change of 5.36%
• Houston, Texas: 5.30% average rate, $33.31 → $35.07, cumulative change of 5.30%
• Seattle, Washington: 4.51% average rate, $33.31 → $34.81, cumulative change of 4.51%

New York experienced the highest rate of inflation during the 1 years between 1969 and 1970 (7.42%).

Seattle, Washington experienced the lowest rate of inflation during the 1 years between 1969 and 1970 (4.51%).

Note that some locations showing 0% inflation may have not yet reported latest data.

Inflation by Country

Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £33.31 in 1970 would be equivalent to £31.31 in 1969, an absolute change of £-2.00 and a cumulative change of -6.02%.

In Canada, CA$33.31 in 1970 would be equivalent to CA$32.98 in 1969, an absolute change of CA$-0.33 and a cumulative change of -0.99%.

Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $-1.80 and total percent change of -5.41%.

Inflation by Spending Category

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 1970 and 1969.

Compare these values to the overall average of 5.72% per year:

For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1970. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.

How to Calculate Inflation Rate for $33.31, 1969 to 1970

Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1969 and 1970:

Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 38.8 in the year 1970 and 36.7 in 1969:

$33.31 in 1970 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $31.51 in 1969.

To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1969 and 1970, we use the following formula:

Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:

Alternate Measurements of Inflation

The above data describe the CPI for all items. Also of note is the Core CPI, which measures inflation for all items except for the more volatile categories of food and energy. Core inflation averaged 6.25% per year between 1970 and 1969 (vs all-CPI inflation of 5.72%), for an inflation total of 6.25%.

When using the core inflation measurement, $33.31 in 1970 is equivalent in buying power to $35.39 in 1969, a difference of $2.08. Recall that for All Items, the converted amount is $31.51 with a difference of $-1.80.

In 1970, core inflation was 5.80%.

News headlines from 1969

Politics and news often influence economic performance. Here's what was happening at the time:

• January 1st, 1970 established as Epoch time for UNIX systems.
• Rhodesia declares independence and sets up a republican government.
• Aswan Dam opens in Egypt to prevent flooding of the Nile River.
• A Palestinian terrorist organization hijacks three aircrafts in an incident that is later known as Black September.

Data Source & Citation

Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI), established in 1913. Inflation data from 1665 to 1912 is sourced from a historical study conducted by political science professor Robert Sahr at Oregon State University.

» Read more about inflation and investment.