Inflation calculator – value of a dollar over time
What would 100 from 2000 be worth today? Enter an amount, a start year and a target year to get the amount with the same buying power, the cumulative inflation and the average annual rate. The calculator uses official annual averages only: the U.S. CPI-U from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the German consumer price index as a second option.
Example: Country / price index: United States (CPI-U, BLS) · Amount 100 · Start year 2,000 · Target year 2,025 → Same buying power: US$100.00 in 2000 equals US$186.96 in 2025. Source: dl-de/by-2-0, Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), GENESIS-Online, Table 61111-0001: consumer price index for Germany, annual averages, 2020=100 (retrieved 27 Sep 2026). License: Datenlizenz Deutschland – Namensnennung – Version 2.0. Updated: .
How it is calculated
How the inflation calculator works
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks the prices urban households pay for goods and services. This calculator uses its official annual averages (series CUUR0000SA0, All items in U.S. city average, 1982-84 = 100) from 1913 on. For Germany it uses the consumer price index of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis, table 61111-0001, 2020 = 100) from 1991 on. The current year is added once its annual average has been published.
How to calculate inflation
- Choose the country and price index: Germany (VPI, Destatis) or USA (CPI-U, BLS).
- Enter the amount and its currency.
- Pick the start year and the target year – backwards works too.
- Read the equivalent amount, cumulative inflation, the average per year and the year-by-year table.
Formulas
- Same buying power: amount × CPI(target year) ÷ CPI(start year)
- Cumulative inflation: CPI(later year) ÷ CPI(earlier year) − 1
- Average annual inflation: (CPI(later year) ÷ CPI(earlier year))1/n − 1, where n is the number of years in between
- Loss of purchasing power: 1 − CPI(earlier year) ÷ CPI(later year)
Example: 100 from 2000
The CPI-U averaged 172.2 in 2000 and 321.943 in 2025. So 100 in 2000 had the same buying power as 100 × 321.943 ÷ 172.2 = 186.96 in 2025. Prices rose by 86.96% over those 25 years, or 2.53% a year on average ((321.943 ÷ 172.2)1/25 − 1). Put the other way round, a dollar lost 46.51% of its purchasing power. Going back further, 1 from 1913 equals 32.52 in 2025.
Other countries and future years: your own inflation rate
National official series are built in for the United States and Germany; for Türkiye, Japan and Indonesia the calculator uses the World Bank consumer price index (2010 = 100). For any other country, or to look ahead, choose “Other country or future: my own annual rate” and enter a constant rate per year. The calculator then compounds it: amount × (1 + rate)years. Example: at 3% a year, 100 in 2025 corresponds to 100 × 1.0310 = 134.39 in 2035; the other way round, 100 in 2035 has the buying power of 74.41 in 2025. This is a projection with the rate you assume, not a forecast and not official data – take the rate from your national statistics office or central bank target.
Why results can differ from other calculators
The BLS's own CPI Inflation Calculator works with monthly index values, so its result for a given month can differ slightly from a calculation with annual averages. Other calculators may use a different index, such as the chained CPI or the PCE price index. The CPI measures an average basket – your personal inflation depends on what you spend your money on. Interest and wage growth are not included; to project savings, use the compound interest calculator.
Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U CUUR0000SA0 (public domain); Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), GENESIS-Online 61111-0001, licensed under Datenlizenz Deutschland – Namensnennung – Version 2.0. Results are our own calculations based on these data.
Related tools: see how money grows with the compound interest calculator, plan a monthly amount with the savings goal calculator and work out price changes with the percentage calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much is 100 from 2000 worth today?
Based on the annual average CPI-U, 100 in 2000 had the same buying power as 186.96 in 2025 (CPI 172.2 → 321.943). That is an average inflation rate of 2.53% a year.
How do you calculate inflation between two years?
Divide the CPI of the later year by the CPI of the earlier year and subtract 1. From 2020 (258.811) to 2025 (321.943) prices rose by 24.39%. Multiply an amount by the same ratio to adjust it for inflation.
How do I calculate the average annual inflation rate?
Use the geometric mean: (CPI end ÷ CPI start)1/n − 1. For 2020 to 2025 that is 1.24391/5 − 1 = 4.46% a year – slightly less than simply dividing 24.39% by 5.
How far back does the calculator go?
For the United States to 1913, the first year of the CPI-U annual averages published by the BLS; for Germany to 1991. The latest year is 2025, the most recent full year with an official annual average.
Why is my result different from the BLS CPI Inflation Calculator?
The BLS calculator compares single months, while this calculator uses annual averages. Both use the same CPI-U series, so the differences are small and come from price changes within the year.
Can I convert German marks or euros?
Yes. Choose Germany: amounts are adjusted with the official German consumer price index, and amounts in Deutsche Mark are first converted at the fixed rate of 1.95583 DM per euro. 100 DM from 1995 equal €87.78 in 2025.
Sources and legal basis
- dl-de/by-2-0: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), GENESIS-Online, Table 61111-0001: consumer price index for Germany, annual averages, 2020=100 (retrieved 27 Sep 2026). License: Datenlizenz Deutschland – Namensnennung – Version 2.0
- Datenlizenz Deutschland – Namensnennung – Version 2.0 (Lizenztext)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U, All items in U.S. city average (series CUUR0000SA0), annual averages, 1982-84=100 (retrieved 2026-09-27; public domain)
- BLS – Copyright information (public domain, please cite BLS)
- Art. 1: Council Regulation (EC) No 2866/98 – conversion rate 1 euro = 1.95583 Deutsche Mark
As of: · Editorial policy
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