$100 in 1812 is worth $115.79 in 1815

Value of $100 from 1812 to 1815

$100 in 1812 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $115.79 in 1815, an increase of $15.79 over 3 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 5.01% per year between 1812 and 1815, producing a cumulative price increase of 15.79%.

This means that prices in 1815 are 1.16 times as high as average prices since 1812, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.

The inflation rate in 1812 was 1.53%. The inflation rate in 1815 was -12.50%. The 1815 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 1.45% per year between 1815 and 2024.


Inflation from 1812 to 1815
Cumulative price change15.79%
Average inflation rate5.01%
Converted amount
$100 base
$115.79
Price difference
$100 base
$15.79
CPI in 181213.300
CPI in 181515.400
Inflation in 18121.53%
Inflation in 1815-12.50%
$100 in 1812$115.79 in 1815

Recent USD inflation
Annual Rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI
Download

Buying power of $100 in 1812

This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1812 (price index tracking began in 1635).

For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $115.79 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").

When $100 is equivalent to $115.79 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single U.S. dollar decreases over time. In other words, a dollar will pay for fewer items at the store.

This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a dollar over time. By calculating the value in 1812 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 3 years.

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:

Dollar inflation: 1812-1815
YearDollar ValueInflation Rate
1812$100.001.53%
1813$120.3020.30%
1814$132.3310.00%
1815$115.79-12.50%
1816$106.02-8.44%
1817$100.00-5.67%
1818$95.49-4.51%
1819$95.490.00%
1820$87.97-7.87%
1821$84.96-3.42%
1822$87.973.54%
1823$78.95-10.26%
1824$72.93-7.62%
1825$74.442.06%
1826$74.440.00%
1827$75.191.01%
1828$71.43-5.00%
1829$69.92-2.11%
1830$69.17-1.08%
1831$65.41-5.43%
1832$64.66-1.15%
1833$63.16-2.33%
1834$64.662.38%
1835$66.172.33%
1836$69.925.68%
1837$72.183.23%
1838$69.92-3.12%
1839$69.920.00%
1840$65.41-6.45%
1841$65.410.00%
1842$61.65-5.75%
1843$55.64-9.76%
1844$56.391.35%
1845$57.141.33%
1846$57.891.32%
1847$61.656.49%
1848$59.40-3.66%
1849$57.89-2.53%
1850$58.651.30%
1851$57.89-1.28%
1852$57.890.00%
1853$57.890.00%
1854$63.169.09%
1855$65.413.57%
1856$63.91-2.30%
1857$65.412.35%
1858$61.65-5.75%
1859$62.411.22%
1860$62.410.00%
1861$66.176.02%
1862$75.9414.77%
1863$94.7424.75%
1864$118.0524.60%
1865$122.563.82%
1866$119.55-2.45%
1867$111.28-6.92%
1868$106.77-4.05%
1869$102.26-4.23%
1870$98.50-3.68%
1871$91.73-6.87%
1872$91.730.00%
1873$90.23-1.64%
1874$85.71-5.00%
1875$82.71-3.51%
1876$80.45-2.73%
1877$78.95-1.87%
1878$75.19-4.76%
1879$75.190.00%
1880$76.692.00%
1881$76.690.00%
1882$76.690.00%
1883$75.94-0.98%
1884$73.68-2.97%
1885$72.93-1.02%
1886$70.68-3.09%
1887$71.431.06%
1888$71.430.00%
1889$69.17-3.16%
1890$68.42-1.09%
1891$68.420.00%
1892$68.420.00%
1893$67.67-1.10%
1894$64.66-4.44%
1895$63.16-2.33%
1896$63.160.00%
1897$62.41-1.19%
1898$62.410.00%
1899$62.410.00%
1900$63.161.20%
1901$63.911.19%
1902$64.661.18%
1903$66.172.33%
1904$66.921.14%
1905$66.17-1.12%
1906$67.672.27%
1907$70.684.44%
1908$69.17-2.13%
1909$68.42-1.09%
1910$71.434.40%
1911$71.430.00%
1912$72.932.11%
1913$74.442.06%
1914$75.191.01%
1915$75.941.00%
1916$81.957.92%
1917$96.2417.43%
1918$113.5317.97%
1919$130.0814.57%
1920$150.3815.61%
1921$134.59-10.50%
1922$126.32-6.15%
1923$128.571.79%
1924$128.570.00%
1925$131.582.34%
1926$133.081.14%
1927$130.83-1.69%
1928$128.57-1.72%
1929$128.570.00%
1930$125.56-2.34%
1931$114.29-8.98%
1932$103.01-9.87%
1933$97.74-5.11%
1934$100.753.08%
1935$103.012.24%
1936$104.511.46%
1937$108.273.60%
1938$106.02-2.08%
1939$104.51-1.42%
1940$105.260.72%
1941$110.535.00%
1942$122.5610.88%
1943$130.086.13%
1944$132.331.73%
1945$135.342.27%
1946$146.628.33%
1947$167.6714.36%
1948$181.208.07%
1949$178.95-1.24%
1950$181.201.26%
1951$195.497.88%
1952$199.251.92%
1953$200.750.75%
1954$202.260.75%
1955$201.50-0.37%
1956$204.511.49%
1957$211.283.31%
1958$217.292.85%
1959$218.800.69%
1960$222.561.72%
1961$224.811.01%
1962$227.071.00%
1963$230.081.32%
1964$233.081.31%
1965$236.841.61%
1966$243.612.86%
1967$251.133.09%
1968$261.654.19%
1969$275.945.46%
1970$291.735.72%
1971$304.514.38%
1972$314.293.21%
1973$333.836.22%
1974$370.6811.04%
1975$404.519.13%
1976$427.825.76%
1977$455.646.50%
1978$490.237.59%
1979$545.8611.35%
1980$619.5513.50%
1981$683.4610.32%
1982$725.566.16%
1983$748.873.21%
1984$781.204.32%
1985$809.023.56%
1986$824.061.86%
1987$854.143.65%
1988$889.474.14%
1989$932.334.82%
1990$982.715.40%
1991$1,024.064.21%
1992$1,054.893.01%
1993$1,086.472.99%
1994$1,114.292.56%
1995$1,145.862.83%
1996$1,179.702.95%
1997$1,206.772.29%
1998$1,225.561.56%
1999$1,252.632.21%
2000$1,294.743.36%
2001$1,331.582.85%
2002$1,352.631.58%
2003$1,383.462.28%
2004$1,420.302.66%
2005$1,468.423.39%
2006$1,515.793.23%
2007$1,558.962.85%
2008$1,618.823.84%
2009$1,613.06-0.36%
2010$1,639.521.64%
2011$1,691.273.16%
2012$1,726.272.07%
2013$1,751.561.46%
2014$1,779.971.62%
2015$1,782.080.12%
2016$1,804.561.26%
2017$1,843.012.13%
2018$1,888.952.49%
2019$1,922.241.76%
2020$1,945.951.23%
2021$2,037.374.70%
2022$2,200.428.00%
2023$2,290.994.12%
2024$2,333.281.85%*
* Compared to previous annual rate. Not final. See inflation summary for latest 12-month trailing value.

This conversion table shows various other 1812 amounts in 1815 dollars, based on the 15.79% change in prices:

Conversion: 1812 dollars in 1815
Initial valueEquivalent value
$1 dollar in 1812$1.16 dollars in 1815
$5 dollars in 1812$5.79 dollars in 1815
$10 dollars in 1812$11.58 dollars in 1815
$50 dollars in 1812$57.89 dollars in 1815
$100 dollars in 1812$115.79 dollars in 1815
$500 dollars in 1812$578.95 dollars in 1815
$1,000 dollars in 1812$1,157.89 dollars in 1815
$5,000 dollars in 1812$5,789.47 dollars in 1815
$10,000 dollars in 1812$11,578.95 dollars in 1815
$50,000 dollars in 1812$57,894.74 dollars in 1815
$100,000 dollars in 1812$115,789.47 dollars in 1815
$500,000 dollars in 1812$578,947.37 dollars in 1815
$1,000,000 dollars in 1812$1,157,894.74 dollars in 1815

Inflation by Country

Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £100.00 in 1812 would be equivalent to £79.87 in 1815, an absolute change of £-20.13 and a cumulative change of -20.13%.

Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $15.79 and total percent change of 15.79%.


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 1812 and 1815.

Compare these values to the overall average of 5.01% per year:

CategoryAvg Inflation (%)Total Inflation (%)$100 in 1812 → 1815
Food and beverages0.000.00100.00
Housing0.000.00100.00
Apparel0.000.00100.00
Transportation0.000.00100.00
Medical care0.000.00100.00
Recreation0.000.00100.00
Education and communication0.000.00100.00
Other goods and services0.000.00100.00

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 1812. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.



How to calculate inflation rate for $100, 1812 to 1815

Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1812 and 1815:

CPI in 1815 CPI in 1812
×
1812 USD value
=
1815 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 13.3 in the year 1812 and 15.4 in 1815:

15.413.3
×
$100
=
$115.79

$100 in 1812 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $115.79 in 1815.

To get the total inflation rate for the 3 years between 1812 and 1815, we use the following formula:

CPI in 1815 - CPI in 1812CPI in 1812
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (3 years)

Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:

15.4 - 13.313.3
×
100
=
16%

Data source & citation

Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (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: “1812 dollars in 1815 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 13 Mar. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/1812-dollars-in-1815.

Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.


Ian Webster

About the author

Ian Webster is an engineer and data expert based in San Mateo, California. He has worked for Google, NASA, and consulted for governments around the world on data pipelines and data analysis. Disappointed by the lack of clear resources on the impacts of inflation on economic indicators, Ian believes this website serves as a valuable public tool. Ian earned his degree in Computer Science from Dartmouth College.

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Inflation from 1812 to 1815
Cumulative price change15.79%
Average inflation rate5.01%
Converted amount
$100 base
$115.79
Price difference
$100 base
$15.79
CPI in 181213.300
CPI in 181515.400
Inflation in 18121.53%
Inflation in 1815-12.50%
$100 in 1812$115.79 in 1815