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Value of $1 from 1900 to 1899
$1 in 1900 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $0.99 in 1899. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 1.20% per year between 1899 and 1900, producing a cumulative price increase of -1.19%.
This means that prices in 1899 are 1.19% lower than average prices since 1900, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1899 was 0.00%. The inflation rate in 1900 was 1.20%. The 1900 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 2.95% per year between 1900 and 2025.
Contents
⌃
| Average inflation rate | 1.20% |
| Converted amount $1 base | $0.99 |
| Price difference $1 base | $-0.01 |
| CPI in 1900 | 8.400 |
| CPI in 1899 | 8.300 |
| Inflation in 1899 | 0.00% |
| Inflation in 1900 | 1.20% |
| $1 in 1900 | $0.99 in 1899 |
Inflation by Country
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £1.00 in 1900 would be equivalent to £0.96 in 1899, an absolute change of £-0.04 and a cumulative change of -4.35%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $-0.01 and total percent change of -1.19%.
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 1900 and 1899.
Compare these values to the overall average of 1.20% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $1 in 1899 → 1900 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and beverages | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Housing | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Apparel | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Transportation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Medical care | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Recreation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Education and communication | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Other goods and services | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1900. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
How to calculate inflation rate for $1, 1899 to 1900
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1899 and 1900:
CPI in 1899 CPI in 1900
×
1900 USD value
=
1899 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 8.4 in the year 1900 and 8.3 in 1899:
8.38.4
×
$1
=
$0.99
$1 in 1900 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $0.99 in 1899.
To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1899 and 1900, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1899 - CPI in 1900CPI in 1900
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (1 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
8.3 - 8.48.4
×
100
=
-1%
Data source & citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (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: “$1 in 1900 → 1899 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 2 May. 2025, https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1900?amount=1&endYear=1899.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Average inflation rate | 1.20% |
| Converted amount $1 base | $0.99 |
| Price difference $1 base | $-0.01 |
| CPI in 1900 | 8.400 |
| CPI in 1899 | 8.300 |
| Inflation in 1899 | 0.00% |
| Inflation in 1900 | 1.20% |
| $1 in 1900 | $0.99 in 1899 |
