Value of a Dollar in 1919

What money from 1919 is worth today, using the official US Consumer Price Index.

Updated September 15, 2026

$1 in 1919 is worth $19.44 in September 2026. Prices have risen 1,844% since 1919, an average of 2.81% a year.

$100 in 1919 has the same buying power as

$1,944

in Sep 2026.

Cumulative inflation
1,843.9%
Average per year
2.81%
$1 from 1919 buys
$0.05
of goods in Sep 2026

$100 from 1919 in other years

1920$116
1930$96.35
1940$80.82
1950$139
1960$171
1970$224
1980$475
1990$754
2000$993
2010$1,258
2020$1,493
2025$1,857

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

1919 dollars in today's money

In 1919In September 2026
$1.00$19.44
$5.00$97.20
$10.00$194.39
$20.00$388.78
$50.00$971.96
$100.00$1,944
$1,000$19,439
$10,000$194,392

Inflation in 1919

Prices rose 15.2% in 1919 compared with 1918. 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 1919 was 17.333 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 19.44× comes from.

Buying power: today's money in 1919

Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $5.14 bought in 1919.

1919 compared with nearby years

Year$1 is worth todayInflation that year
1914$33.641.4%
1915$33.330.9%
1916$30.967.7%
1917$26.2717.8%
1918$22.4017.3%
1920$16.8115.6%
1921$18.88-10.9%
1922$20.12-6.2%
1923$19.761.8%
1924$19.680.4%

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1919). 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 1919 worth today?

$1 from 1919 has the same buying power as $19.44 in September 2026, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).

How much is $100 from 1919 worth today?

$100 in 1919 is worth about $1,944 in September 2026.

What was the inflation rate in 1919?

The annual-average inflation rate in 1919 was 15.2%.

How much has the dollar lost since 1919?

$100 today buys what $5.14 bought in 1919. Prices are up 1,844% in total, an average of 2.81% a year.

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