Legal services priced at $4,000 in 1991 $11,382.31 in 2020

Legal Services Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Legal Services, 1991-2020 ($4,000)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for legal services were 184.56% higher in 2020 versus 1991 (a $7,382.31 difference in value).

Between 1991 and 2020: Legal services experienced an average inflation rate of 3.67% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, legal services costing $4,000 in the year 1991 would cost $11,382.31 in 2020 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.24% during this same period, inflation for legal services was higher.

In the year 1991: Pricing changed by 5.72%, which is above the average yearly change for legal services during the 1991-2020 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1991 (4.23%), inflation for legal services was higher.

Price Inflation for Legal services since 1986

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1990 (7.40%), 2022 (6.58%), and 2024 (6.56%).

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Buying power of $4,000.00 since 1991

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Legal services, over time, for $4,000 beginning in 1991. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1991$4,000.005.72%
1992$4,204.935.12%
1993$4,382.074.21%
1994$4,530.483.39%
1995$4,680.803.32%
1996$4,849.153.60%
1997$5,057.174.29%
1998$5,299.384.79%
1999$5,555.834.84%
2000$5,844.825.20%
2001$6,157.555.35%
2002$6,515.175.81%
2003$6,844.055.05%
2004$7,169.844.76%
2005$7,462.874.09%
2006$7,717.663.41%
2007$8,034.564.11%
2008$8,357.234.02%
2009$8,586.292.74%
2010$8,894.483.59%
2011$9,181.493.23%
2012$9,367.862.03%
2013$9,625.702.75%
2014$9,831.762.14%
2015$9,988.131.59%
2016$10,325.243.38%
2017$10,693.003.56%
2018$11,151.504.29%
2019$11,259.830.97%
2020$11,382.311.09%
2021$11,557.021.53%
2022$12,317.936.58%
2023$13,085.186.23%
2024$13,943.166.56%*

* 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 Legal services:

Year198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI100.000103.438107.662114.115122.562129.577136.215141.954146.762151.631157.085163.823171.669179.977189.338199.469211.054221.708232.262241.754250.008260.273270.726278.146288.130297.427303.465311.817318.492323.558334.478346.391361.244364.754368.721374.381399.030423.884451.678

Adjust legal services prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2020 / CPI in 1991 * 1991 USD value = 2020 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Legal services was 129.577 in the year 1991 and 368.721 in 2020:

368.721 / 129.577 * $4,000 = $11,382.31

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $4,000 in 1991 has the same "purchasing power" as $11,382.31 in 2020 (in the CPI category of Legal services).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Legal services in 1986. In addition to legal services, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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