Value of a Dollar in 1918

What money from 1918 is worth today, using the official US Consumer Price Index.

Updated September 15, 2026

$1 in 1918 is worth $22.40 in September 2026. Prices have risen 2,140% since 1918, an average of 2.91% a year.

$100 in 1918 has the same buying power as

$2,240

in Sep 2026.

Cumulative inflation
2,140.0%
Average per year
2.91%
$1 from 1918 buys
$0.04
of goods in Sep 2026

$100 from 1918 in other years

1920$133
1930$111
1940$93.13
1950$160
1960$197
1970$258
1980$548
1990$869
2000$1,145
2010$1,450
2020$1,721
2025$2,140

Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (CPIAUCNS via FRED), annual averages 1913–2025 and the latest month (Sep 2026).

1918 dollars in today's money

In 1918In September 2026
$1.00$22.40
$5.00$112.00
$10.00$224.00
$20.00$448.00
$50.00$1,120
$100.00$2,240
$1,000$22,400
$10,000$223,999

Inflation in 1918

Prices rose 17.3% in 1918 compared with 1917. 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 1918 was 15.042 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 22.40× comes from.

Buying power: today's money in 1918

Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $4.46 bought in 1918.

1918 compared with nearby years

Year$1 is worth todayInflation that year
1913$34.09—
1914$33.641.4%
1915$33.330.9%
1916$30.967.7%
1917$26.2717.8%
1919$19.4415.2%
1920$16.8115.6%
1921$18.88-10.9%
1922$20.12-6.2%
1923$19.761.8%

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1918). 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.

Frequently asked questions

How much is $1 from 1918 worth today?

$1 from 1918 has the same buying power as $22.40 in September 2026, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).

How much is $100 from 1918 worth today?

$100 in 1918 is worth about $2,240 in September 2026.

What was the inflation rate in 1918?

The annual-average inflation rate in 1918 was 17.3%.

How much has the dollar lost since 1918?

$100 today buys what $4.46 bought in 1918. Prices are up 2,140% in total, an average of 2.91% a year.

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