Fuels and utilities priced at $20 in 1952 $283.19 in 2024

Fuels And Utilities Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Fuels And Utilities, 1952-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for fuels and utilities are 1,315.93% higher in 2024 versus 1952 (a $263.19 difference in value).

Between 1952 and 2024: Fuels and utilities experienced an average inflation rate of 3.75% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, fuels and utilities costing $20 in the year 1952 would cost $283.19 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.49% during this same period, inflation for fuels and utilities was higher.

Price Inflation for Fuels and utilities since 1952

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1974 (18.34%), 1980 (16.43%), and 1981 (14.60%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20.00 since 1952

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Fuels and utilities, over time, for $20 beginning in 1952. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1952$20.00-
1953$20.251.25%
1954$20.350.48%
1955$20.782.11%
1956$21.282.43%
1957$21.912.96%
1958$22.362.02%
1959$22.862.23%
1960$23.372.27%
1961$23.661.22%
1962$23.720.26%
1963$23.930.88%
1964$24.000.29%
1965$23.99-0.03%
1966$24.090.40%
1967$24.381.21%
1968$24.701.31%
1969$25.272.30%
1970$26.243.87%
1971$28.036.81%
1972$29.274.40%
1973$30.945.73%
1974$36.6218.34%
1975$40.9111.73%
1976$44.548.86%
1977$49.3010.69%
1978$52.666.82%
1979$58.3410.78%
1980$67.9216.43%
1981$77.8414.60%
1982$85.529.87%
1983$90.295.57%
1984$94.454.61%
1985$95.971.61%
1986$93.80-2.27%
1987$92.82-1.04%
1988$94.091.37%
1989$97.093.19%
1990$100.553.57%
1991$103.843.27%
1992$106.132.20%
1993$109.292.98%
1994$110.621.21%
1995$111.400.71%
1996$114.873.12%
1997$117.802.55%
1998$115.73-1.75%
1999$116.040.26%
2000$124.237.06%
2001$135.298.90%
2002$129.33-4.40%
2003$139.227.65%
2004$145.854.76%
2005$161.3010.59%
2006$175.418.75%
2007$180.753.05%
2008$198.219.66%
2009$189.82-4.24%
2010$192.961.66%
2011$198.532.89%
2012$197.29-0.63%
2013$202.892.84%
2014$211.344.17%
2015$207.32-1.90%
2016$206.18-0.55%
2017$213.803.70%
2018$217.621.79%
2019$218.560.43%
2020$219.770.56%
2021$234.726.80%
2022$268.6614.46%
2023$275.212.44%
2024$283.192.90%*

* 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 Fuels and utilities:

Year1952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI22.20022.47722.58523.06223.62324.32324.81525.36925.94626.26226.33126.56226.63826.63126.73827.06227.41528.04629.13131.11532.48534.34640.64645.41549.43854.72358.45464.75475.39286.40094.931100.223104.838106.531104.115103.031104.438107.769111.615115.262117.800121.315122.785123.654127.508130.754128.462128.800137.892150.169143.562154.538161.892179.038194.700200.632220.018210.696214.187220.367218.986225.207234.589230.129228.855237.315241.554242.598243.949260.540298.208305.478314.337

Adjust fuels and utilities prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1952 * 1952 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Fuels and utilities was 22.200 in the year 1952 and 314.337 in 2024:

314.337 / 22.200 * $20 = $283.19

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1952 has the same "purchasing power" as $283.19 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Fuels and utilities).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Fuels and utilities in 1952. In addition to fuels and utilities, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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