1979 dollars in today's money
| In 1979 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $4.64 |
| $5.00 | $23.21 |
| $10.00 | $46.43 |
| $20.00 | $92.85 |
| $50.00 | $232.13 |
| $100.00 | $464.26 |
| $1,000 | $4,643 |
| $10,000 | $46,426 |
Inflation in 1979
Prices rose 11.3% in 1979 compared with 1978. 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 1979 was 72.575 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 4.64× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1979
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $21.54 bought in 1979.
1979 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | $6.83 | 11.1% |
| 1975 | $6.26 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | $5.92 | 5.7% |
| 1977 | $5.56 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $5.17 | 7.6% |
| 1980 | $4.09 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $3.71 | 10.3% |
| 1982 | $3.49 | 6.1% |
| 1983 | $3.38 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $3.24 | 4.3% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1979). 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.