Value of a Dollar in 1941

What money from 1941 is worth today, using the official US Consumer Price Index.

Updated September 15, 2026

$1 in 1941 is worth $22.88 in September 2026. Prices have risen 2,188% since 1941, an average of 3.74% a year.

$100 in 1941 has the same buying power as

$2,288

in Sep 2026.

Cumulative inflation
2,188.2%
Average per year
3.74%
$1 from 1941 buys
$0.04
of goods in Sep 2026

$100 from 1941 in other years

1920$136
1930$113
1940$95.13
1950$163
1960$201
1970$264
1980$560
1990$887
2000$1,169
2010$1,481
2020$1,758
2025$2,186

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

1941 dollars in today's money

In 1941In September 2026
$1.00$22.88
$5.00$114.41
$10.00$228.82
$20.00$457.64
$50.00$1,144
$100.00$2,288
$1,000$22,882
$10,000$228,822

Inflation in 1941

Prices rose 5.1% in 1941 compared with 1940. That is above the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.

In the 1940s, the highest yearly rate was 14.4% in 1947 and the lowest was -1.0% in 1949.

The average Consumer Price Index in 1941 was 14.725 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 22.88× comes from.

Buying power: today's money in 1941

Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $4.37 bought in 1941.

1941 compared with nearby years

Year$1 is worth todayInflation that year
1936$24.301.0%
1937$23.433.7%
1938$23.91-2.0%
1939$24.23-1.3%
1940$24.050.7%
1942$20.6310.9%
1943$19.476.0%
1944$19.151.6%
1945$18.732.3%
1946$17.268.5%

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1941). 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 1941 worth today?

$1 from 1941 has the same buying power as $22.88 in September 2026, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).

How much is $100 from 1941 worth today?

$100 in 1941 is worth about $2,288 in September 2026.

What was the inflation rate in 1941?

The annual-average inflation rate in 1941 was 5.1%.

How much has the dollar lost since 1941?

$100 today buys what $4.37 bought in 1941. Prices are up 2,188% in total, an average of 3.74% a year.

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