Nondurables price inflation, 1935→2024

Nondurables Inflation Calculator

Prices for Nondurables, 1935-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for nondurables are 1,895.02% higher in 2024 versus 1935 (a $379 difference in value).

Between 1935 and 2024: Nondurables experienced an average inflation rate of 3.42% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, nondurables costing $20 in the year 1935 would cost $399 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.58% during this same period, inflation for nondurables was lower.

Price Inflation for Nondurables since 1935

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

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1947 (19.78%), 1942 (14.55%), and 1974 (13.67%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1935

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Nondurables, 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	$20.38	1.92%
1937	$21.12	3.62%
1938	$20.12	-4.77%
1939	$19.68	-2.15%
1940	$19.97	1.46%
1941	$21.55	7.93%
1942	$24.69	14.55%
1943	$26.71	8.16%
1944	$26.88	0.65%
1945	$27.65	2.89%
1946	$31.14	12.59%
1947	$37.29	19.78%
1948	$39.74	6.56%
1949	$38.42	-3.33%
1950	$38.96	1.42%
1951	$42.56	9.23%
1952	$42.88	0.74%
1953	$42.82	-0.13%
1954	$42.71	-0.27%
1955	$42.50	-0.47%
1956	$43.07	1.32%
1957	$44.42	3.14%
1958	$45.56	2.57%
1959	$45.40	-0.34%
1960	$45.97	1.24%
1961	$46.39	0.92%
1962	$46.76	0.81%
1963	$47.35	1.25%
1964	$47.83	1.01%
1965	$48.69	1.81%
1966	$50.47	3.66%
1967	$51.44	1.93%
1968	$53.44	3.87%
1969	$56.00	4.81%
1970	$58.68	4.78%
1971	$60.56	3.21%
1972	$62.57	3.31%
1973	$68.32	9.20%
1974	$77.66	13.67%
1975	$83.93	8.07%
1976	$87.03	3.69%
1977	$92.03	5.75%
1978	$98.78	7.34%
1979	$111.06	12.43%
1980	$126.02	13.47%
1981	$136.97	8.69%
1982	$140.75	2.76%
1983	$143.49	1.94%
1984	$147.40	2.73%
1985	$150.81	2.31%
1986	$148.93	-1.25%
1987	$154.64	3.83%
1988	$160.90	4.04%
1989	$170.07	5.70%
1990	$181.32	6.61%
1991	$187.50	3.41%
1992	$191.02	1.88%
1993	$194.33	1.73%
1994	$196.86	1.30%
1995	$200.49	1.84%
1996	$206.50	3.00%
1997	$210.58	1.98%
1998	$211.42	0.40%
1999	$217.53	2.89%
2000	$227.56	4.61%
2001	$231.02	1.52%
2002	$231.74	0.31%
2003	$237.80	2.61%
2004	$247.71	4.17%
2005	$259.29	4.67%
2006	$268.68	3.62%
2007	$278.37	3.61%
2008	$296.26	6.43%
2009	$285.68	-3.57%
2010	$295.35	3.39%
2011	$315.18	6.71%
2012	$323.20	2.54%
2013	$324.13	0.29%
2014	$326.13	0.62%
2015	$313.13	-3.99%
2016	$309.31	-1.22%
2017	$316.00	2.16%
2018	$324.95	2.83%
2019	$326.10	0.35%
2020	$323.70	-0.74%
2021	$345.30	6.67%
2022	$385.81	11.73%
2023	$394.91	2.36%
2024	$399.00	1.04%*

* 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 Nondurables:

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	13.900	14.167	14.680	13.980	13.680	13.880	14.980	17.160	18.560	18.680	19.220	21.640	25.920	27.620	26.700	27.080	29.580	29.800	29.760	29.680	29.540	29.931	30.869	31.662	31.554	31.946	32.238	32.500	32.908	33.238	33.838	35.077	35.754	37.138	38.923	40.785	42.092	43.485	47.485	53.977	58.331	60.485	63.962	68.654	77.185	87.585	95.192	97.823	99.723	102.446	104.815	103.508	107.477	111.823	118.200	126.015	130.315	132.762	135.062	136.815	139.338	143.515	146.354	146.938	151.185	158.154	160.562	161.062	165.269	172.162	180.208	186.731	193.468	205.901	198.548	205.271	219.049	224.622	225.271	226.662	217.624	214.973	219.620	225.843	226.642	224.974	239.982	268.138	274.459	277.308

Adjust nondurables 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 Nondurables was 13.900 in the year 1935 and 277.308 in 2024:

277.308 / 13.900 * $20 = $399

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1935 has the same "purchasing power" as $399 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Nondurables).

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