Sports equipment priced at $20 in 1978 $21.07 in 2024

Sports Equipment Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Sports Equipment, 1978-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for sports equipment are 5.35% higher in 2024 versus 1978 (a $1.07 difference in value).

Between 1978 and 2024: Sports equipment experienced an average inflation rate of 0.11% per year. In other words, sports equipment costing $20 in the year 1978 would cost $21.07 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.47% during this same period, inflation for sports equipment was significantly lower.

Price Inflation for Sports equipment since 1978

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (6.81%), 2021 (6.19%), and 1981 (6.07%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1978

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Sports equipment, over time, for $20 beginning in 1978. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1978$20.00-
1979$20.954.76%
1980$22.386.81%
1981$23.746.07%
1982$24.503.21%
1983$24.861.49%
1984$24.950.34%
1985$24.66-1.15%
1986$24.52-0.57%
1987$24.981.86%
1988$25.973.98%
1989$26.612.45%
1990$27.694.05%
1991$28.864.23%
1992$29.151.00%
1993$28.96-0.65%
1994$29.541.99%
1995$29.51-0.09%
1996$29.37-0.48%
1997$29.24-0.45%
1998$28.80-1.49%
1999$27.52-4.44%
2000$26.51-3.66%
2001$25.95-2.15%
2002$25.27-2.60%
2003$25.06-0.84%
2004$24.76-1.19%
2005$24.49-1.10%
2006$24.17-1.28%
2007$23.82-1.45%
2008$24.382.34%
2009$24.912.14%
2010$24.17-2.97%
2011$23.02-4.74%
2012$22.75-1.16%
2013$22.19-2.48%
2014$21.67-2.36%
2015$21.03-2.95%
2016$20.75-1.31%
2017$20.20-2.64%
2018$19.67-2.63%
2019$19.27-2.05%
2020$19.17-0.53%
2021$20.356.19%
2022$21.575.98%
2023$21.31-1.20%
2024$21.07-1.11%*

* 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 Sports equipment:

Year19781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI80.73884.58590.34695.83198.908100.377100.72399.56298.992100.838104.854107.423111.777116.508117.669116.908119.238119.131118.562118.023116.269111.108107.038104.738102.015101.15499.95498.85497.59296.17998.434100.54197.55792.93791.85589.57687.46084.88283.77381.56379.41777.78677.37082.15687.06886.01985.060

Adjust sports equipment prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1978 * 1978 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Sports equipment was 80.738 in the year 1978 and 85.060 in 2024:

85.060 / 80.738 * $20 = $21.07

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1978 has the same "purchasing power" as $21.07 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Sports equipment).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Sports equipment in 1978. In addition to sports equipment, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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