Value of a Dollar in 1945

What money from 1945 is worth today, using the official US Consumer Price Index.

Updated September 15, 2026

$1 in 1945 is worth $18.73 in September 2026. Prices have risen 1,773% since 1945, an average of 3.67% a year.

$100 in 1945 has the same buying power as

$1,873

in Sep 2026.

Cumulative inflation
1,772.7%
Average per year
3.67%
$1 from 1945 buys
$0.05
of goods in Sep 2026

$100 from 1945 in other years

1920$111
1930$92.82
1940$77.86
1950$134
1960$164
1970$216
1980$458
1990$726
2000$957
2010$1,212
2020$1,438
2025$1,789

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

1945 dollars in today's money

In 1945In September 2026
$1.00$18.73
$5.00$93.64
$10.00$187.27
$20.00$374.54
$50.00$936.36
$100.00$1,873
$1,000$18,727
$10,000$187,272

Inflation in 1945

Prices rose 2.3% in 1945 compared with 1944. That is below 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 1945 was 17.992 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 18.73× comes from.

Buying power: today's money in 1945

Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $5.34 bought in 1945.

1945 compared with nearby years

Year$1 is worth todayInflation that year
1940$24.050.7%
1941$22.885.1%
1942$20.6310.9%
1943$19.476.0%
1944$19.151.6%
1946$17.268.5%
1947$15.0914.4%
1948$14.017.7%
1949$14.15-1.0%
1950$14.001.1%

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1945). 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 1945 worth today?

$1 from 1945 has the same buying power as $18.73 in September 2026, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).

How much is $100 from 1945 worth today?

$100 in 1945 is worth about $1,873 in September 2026.

What was the inflation rate in 1945?

The annual-average inflation rate in 1945 was 2.3%.

How much has the dollar lost since 1945?

$100 today buys what $5.34 bought in 1945. Prices are up 1,773% in total, an average of 3.67% a year.

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