1917 dollars in today's money
| In 1917 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $26.27 |
| $5.00 | $131.36 |
| $10.00 | $262.72 |
| $20.00 | $525.44 |
| $50.00 | $1,314 |
| $100.00 | $2,627 |
| $1,000 | $26,272 |
| $10,000 | $262,721 |
Inflation in 1917
Prices rose 17.8% in 1917 compared with 1916. That is above the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.
In the 1910s, the highest yearly rate was 17.8% in 1917 and the lowest was 0.9% in 1915.
The average Consumer Price Index in 1917 was 12.825 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 26.27× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1917
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $3.81 bought in 1917.
1917 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | $34.09 | — |
| 1914 | $33.64 | 1.4% |
| 1915 | $33.33 | 0.9% |
| 1916 | $30.96 | 7.7% |
| 1918 | $22.40 | 17.3% |
| 1919 | $19.44 | 15.2% |
| 1920 | $16.81 | 15.6% |
| 1921 | $18.88 | -10.9% |
| 1922 | $20.12 | -6.2% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1917). The data is the CPI-U, all items, not seasonally adjusted, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Use the calculator above to convert between any two years.