Value of a Dollar in 1929

What money from 1929 is worth today, using the official US Consumer Price Index.

Updated September 15, 2026

$1 in 1929 is worth $19.64 in September 2026. Prices have risen 1,864% since 1929, an average of 3.11% a year.

$100 in 1929 has the same buying power as

$1,964

in Sep 2026.

Cumulative inflation
1,863.7%
Average per year
3.11%
$1 from 1929 buys
$0.05
of goods in Sep 2026

$100 from 1929 in other years

1920$117
1930$97.33
1940$81.64
1950$140
1960$172
1970$226
1980$480
1990$761
2000$1,004
2010$1,271
2020$1,508
2025$1,876

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

1929 dollars in today's money

In 1929In September 2026
$1.00$19.64
$5.00$98.19
$10.00$196.37
$20.00$392.75
$50.00$981.87
$100.00$1,964
$1,000$19,637
$10,000$196,375

Inflation in 1929

Prices rose 0.0% in 1929 compared with 1928. That is below the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.

In the 1920s, the highest yearly rate was 15.6% in 1920 and the lowest was -10.9% in 1921.

The average Consumer Price Index in 1929 was 17.158 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 19.64× comes from.

Buying power: today's money in 1929

Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $5.09 bought in 1929.

1929 compared with nearby years

Year$1 is worth todayInflation that year
1924$19.680.4%
1925$19.212.4%
1926$19.040.9%
1927$19.41-1.9%
1928$19.64-1.2%
1930$20.18-2.7%
1931$22.16-8.9%
1932$24.70-10.3%
1933$26.05-5.2%
1934$25.183.5%

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1929). 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 1929 worth today?

$1 from 1929 has the same buying power as $19.64 in September 2026, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).

How much is $100 from 1929 worth today?

$100 in 1929 is worth about $1,964 in September 2026.

What was the inflation rate in 1929?

The annual-average inflation rate in 1929 was 0.0%.

How much has the dollar lost since 1929?

$100 today buys what $5.09 bought in 1929. Prices are up 1,864% in total, an average of 3.11% a year.

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