1972 dollars in today's money
| In 1972 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $8.06 |
| $5.00 | $40.29 |
| $10.00 | $80.57 |
| $20.00 | $161.15 |
| $50.00 | $402.87 |
| $100.00 | $805.75 |
| $1,000 | $8,057 |
| $10,000 | $80,575 |
Inflation in 1972
Prices rose 3.3% in 1972 compared with 1971. That is above the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.
In the 1970s, the highest yearly rate was 11.3% in 1979 and the lowest was 3.3% in 1972.
The average Consumer Price Index in 1972 was 41.817 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 8.06× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1972
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $12.41 bought in 1972.
1972 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | $10.10 | 2.8% |
| 1968 | $9.69 | 4.3% |
| 1969 | $9.19 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | $8.68 | 5.8% |
| 1971 | $8.32 | 4.3% |
| 1973 | $7.59 | 6.2% |
| 1974 | $6.83 | 11.1% |
| 1975 | $6.26 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $5.92 | 5.7% |
| 1977 | $5.56 | 6.5% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1972). 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.