$1 in 2020 → $2.25 in 2055

Buying power of $1 in 2055

This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $1 in 2020 (price index tracking began in 1635).

For example, if you started with $1, you would need to end with $2.25 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").

When $1 is equivalent to $2.25 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single U.S. dollar decreases over time. In other words, a dollar will pay for fewer items at the store.

This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a dollar over time. By calculating the value in 2020 dollars, the chart below shows how $1 is worth less over 35 years.

This table shows the results of the inflation prediction, with base values from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

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.

» Read more about inflation and investment.