1946 dollars in today's money
| In 1946 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $17.26 |
| $5.00 | $86.32 |
| $10.00 | $172.64 |
| $20.00 | $345.28 |
| $50.00 | $863.20 |
| $100.00 | $1,726 |
| $1,000 | $17,264 |
| $10,000 | $172,639 |
Inflation in 1946
Prices rose 8.5% in 1946 compared with 1945. 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 1946 was 19.517 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 17.26× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1946
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $5.79 bought in 1946.
1946 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | $22.88 | 5.1% |
| 1942 | $20.63 | 10.9% |
| 1943 | $19.47 | 6.0% |
| 1944 | $19.15 | 1.6% |
| 1945 | $18.73 | 2.3% |
| 1947 | $15.09 | 14.4% |
| 1948 | $14.01 | 7.7% |
| 1949 | $14.15 | -1.0% |
| 1950 | $14.00 | 1.1% |
| 1951 | $12.98 | 7.9% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1946). 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.