Durables price inflation, 1935→2024

Durables Inflation Calculator

Prices for Durables, 1935-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for durables are 595.15% higher in 2024 versus 1935 (a $119.03 difference in value).

Between 1935 and 2024: Durables experienced an average inflation rate of 2.20% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, durables costing $20 in the year 1935 would cost $139.03 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.57% during this same period, inflation for durables was lower.

Price Inflation for Durables since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1942 (12.81%), 1975 (11.41%), and 2021 (10.59%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20.00 since 1935

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Durables, over time, for $20 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1935	$20.00	-
1936	$20.32	1.59%
1937	$21.71	6.84%
1938	$21.91	0.93%
1939	$21.48	-1.95%
1940	$21.33	-0.73%
1941	$22.99	7.80%
1942	$25.93	12.81%
1943	$26.83	3.47%
1944	$29.44	9.72%
1945	$31.51	7.02%
1946	$32.99	4.71%
1947	$35.78	8.45%
1948	$38.38	7.29%
1949	$38.70	0.82%
1950	$39.33	1.63%
1951	$42.31	7.60%
1952	$42.70	0.90%
1953	$42.36	-0.79%
1954	$41.28	-2.55%
1955	$40.47	-1.96%
1956	$40.54	0.18%
1957	$41.85	3.22%
1958	$42.48	1.51%
1959	$43.09	1.44%
1960	$42.85	-0.56%
1961	$42.85	0.00% **
1962	$43.28	0.99%
1963	$43.39	0.26%
1964	$43.76	0.86%
1965	$43.60	-0.38%
1966	$43.64	0.10%
1967	$44.32	1.56%
1968	$45.66	3.02%
1969	$47.42	3.86%
1970	$49.52	4.43%
1971	$51.61	4.21%
1972	$52.71	2.14%
1973	$54.01	2.46%
1974	$57.87	7.14%
1975	$64.47	11.41%
1976	$68.40	6.10%
1977	$72.33	5.75%
1978	$77.05	6.52%
1979	$84.68	9.90%
1980	$93.23	10.09%
1981	$100.67	7.98%
1982	$106.84	6.12%
1983	$112.13	4.96%
1984	$118.09	5.31%
1985	$119.96	1.58%
1986	$119.75	-0.17%
1987	$121.56	1.52%
1988	$124.01	2.01%
1989	$126.02	1.62%
1990	$127.43	1.12%
1991	$130.34	2.28%
1992	$133.23	2.22%
1993	$136.26	2.27%
1994	$140.22	2.91%
1995	$143.81	2.56%
1996	$145.35	1.07%
1997	$144.63	-0.49%
1998	$143.33	-0.90%
1999	$141.54	-1.25%
2000	$140.87	-0.47%
2001	$140.02	-0.61%
2002	$136.42	-2.57%
2003	$132.01	-3.23%
2004	$128.95	-2.32%
2005	$129.50	0.42%
2006	$128.62	-0.68%
2007	$126.37	-1.74%
2008	$124.58	-1.42%
2009	$123.44	-0.92%
2010	$125.08	1.33%
2011	$126.47	1.11%
2012	$126.73	0.21%
2013	$125.72	-0.80%
2014	$123.99	-1.38%
2015	$122.60	-1.12%
2016	$120.54	-1.68%
2017	$118.30	-1.86%
2018	$117.33	-0.82%
2019	$117.73	0.35%
2020	$118.79	0.90%
2021	$131.37	10.59%
2022	$143.91	9.54%
2023	$142.04	-1.30%
2024	$139.03	-2.12%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.

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

Year	1935	1936	1937	1938	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	2023	2024
CPI	17.800	18.083	19.320	19.500	19.120	18.980	20.460	23.080	23.880	26.200	28.040	29.360	31.840	34.160	34.440	35.000	37.660	38.000	37.700	36.740	36.020	36.085	37.246	37.808	38.354	38.138	38.138	38.515	38.615	38.946	38.800	38.838	39.446	40.638	42.208	44.077	45.931	46.915	48.069	51.500	57.377	60.877	64.377	68.577	75.369	82.977	89.600	95.085	99.800	105.100	106.762	106.577	108.192	110.369	112.154	113.415	116.000	118.577	121.269	124.792	127.992	129.362	128.723	127.562	125.969	125.377	124.615	121.415	117.492	114.769	115.254	114.469	112.473	110.877	109.859	111.324	112.557	112.790	111.889	110.349	109.116	107.279	105.283	104.420	104.781	105.723	116.923	128.077	126.415	123.737

Adjust durables prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1935 * 1935 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Durables was 17.800 in the year 1935 and 123.737 in 2024:

123.737 / 17.800 * $20 = $139.03

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1935 has the same "purchasing power" as $139.03 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Durables).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Durables in 1935. In addition to durables, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.