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Value of $100 from 1821 to 2017
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, prices in 2017 are 2,069.20% higher than average prices since 1821. The U.S. dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 1.58% per year during this period, causing the real value of a dollar to decrease.
In other words, $100 in 1821 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $2,169.20 in 2017, a difference of $2,069.20 over 196 years.
The 1821 inflation rate was -3.42%. The inflation rate in 2017 was 2.13%. The 2017 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 1.51% per year between 2017 and 2020.
Contents
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| Cumulative price change | 2,069.20% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.58% |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $2,169.20 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $2,069.20 |
| CPI in 1821 | 11.300 |
| CPI in 2017 | 245.120 |
| Inflation in 1821 | -3.42% |
| Inflation in 2017 | 2.13% |
Buying power of $100 in 1821
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1821 (price index tracking began in 1635).
For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $2,169.20 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $100 is equivalent to $2,169.20 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 1821 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 196 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:
This conversion table shows various other 1821 amounts in 2017 dollars, based on the 2,069.20% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1821 | $21.69 dollars in 2017 |
| $5 dollars in 1821 | $108.46 dollars in 2017 |
| $10 dollars in 1821 | $216.92 dollars in 2017 |
| $50 dollars in 1821 | $1,084.60 dollars in 2017 |
| $100 dollars in 1821 | $2,169.20 dollars in 2017 |
| $500 dollars in 1821 | $10,846.02 dollars in 2017 |
| $1,000 dollars in 1821 | $21,692.04 dollars in 2017 |
| $5,000 dollars in 1821 | $108,460.18 dollars in 2017 |
| $10,000 dollars in 1821 | $216,920.35 dollars in 2017 |
| $50,000 dollars in 1821 | $1,084,601.77 dollars in 2017 |
| $100,000 dollars in 1821 | $2,169,203.54 dollars in 2017 |
| $500,000 dollars in 1821 | $10,846,017.70 dollars in 2017 |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1821 | $21,692,035.40 dollars in 2017 |
Inflation by Country
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £100.00 in 1821 would be equivalent to £10,435.92 in 2017, an absolute change of £10,335.92 and a cumulative change of 10,335.92%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $2,069.20 and total percent change of 2,069.20%.
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 1821 and 2017.
Compare these values to the overall average of 1.58% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $100 in 1821 → 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and beverages | 4.01 | 221,978.86 | 222,078.86 |
| Housing | 4.29 | 374,563.46 | 374,663.46 |
| Apparel | 2.07 | 5,457.27 | 5,557.27 |
| Transportation | 3.29 | 56,636.74 | 56,736.74 |
| Medical care | 5.21 | 2,122,597.30 | 2,122,697.30 |
| Recreation | 1.11 | 776.51 | 876.51 |
| Education and communication | 1.97 | 4,434.60 | 4,534.60 |
| Other goods and services | 5.15 | 1,894,011.44 | 1,894,111.44 |
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 1821. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
How to Calculate Inflation Rate for $100, 1821 to 2017
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1821 and 2017:
CPI in 2017
CPI in 1821
×
1821 USD value
=
2017 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 11.3 in the year 1821 and 245.12 in 2017:
245.1211.3
×
$100
=
$2,169.20
$100 in 1821 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $2,169.20 in 2017.
To get the total inflation rate for the 196 years between 1821 and 2017, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2017 - CPI in 1821CPI in 1821
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (196 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
245.12 - 11.311.3
×
100
=
2,069%
News headlines from 1821
Politics and news often influence economic performance. Here's what was happening at the time:
- The Mexican war of Independence ends after Mexican revolutionary forces occupy Mexico City and the Spanish withdraw.
- 30,000 Turks are massacred during the Greek war of Independence and Tripolitsa falls.
- Antarctica is circumnavigated for the first time in an expedition led by Russian polar explorers Fabian Gottlieb von Bellinghausen.
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.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “1821 dollars in 2017 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 13 Jul. 2020, https://www.officialdata.org/1821-dollars-in-2017.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 2,069.20% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.58% |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $2,169.20 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $2,069.20 |
| CPI in 1821 | 11.300 |
| CPI in 2017 | 245.120 |
| Inflation in 1821 | -3.42% |
| Inflation in 2017 | 2.13% |