1981 dollars in today's money
| In 1981 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $3.71 |
| $5.00 | $18.53 |
| $10.00 | $37.06 |
| $20.00 | $74.11 |
| $50.00 | $185.28 |
| $100.00 | $370.57 |
| $1,000 | $3,706 |
| $10,000 | $37,057 |
Inflation in 1981
Prices rose 10.3% in 1981 compared with 1980. That is above the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.
In the 1980s, the highest yearly rate was 13.5% in 1980 and the lowest was 1.9% in 1986.
The average Consumer Price Index in 1981 was 90.925 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 3.71× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1981
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $26.99 bought in 1981.
1981 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | $5.92 | 5.7% |
| 1977 | $5.56 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $5.17 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $4.64 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $4.09 | 13.5% |
| 1982 | $3.49 | 6.1% |
| 1983 | $3.38 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $3.24 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $3.13 | 3.5% |
| 1986 | $3.07 | 1.9% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1981). 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.