$100 in 1968 is worth $962.59 in August 2026 dollars. Prices are 862.6% higher than they were in 1968, an average inflation rate of 3.97% a year over roughly 58 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
Inflation in 1968
The average CPI-U in 1968 was 34.8, up from 33.4 in 1967 — an annual inflation rate of 4.2%.
That rate was higher than in 80 of the 112 years from 1914 to 2025, and above the long-run average of 3.16% a year.
Average prices had doubled from their 1968 level by 1979, 11 years later.
Value of $100 from 1968 over time
1968 dollars in today’s dollars
| 1968 dollars | August 2026 dollars |
|---|---|
| $1 | $9.63 |
| $5 | $48.13 |
| $10 | $96.26 |
| $20 | $192.52 |
| $50 | $481.29 |
| $100 | $962.59 |
| $500 | $4,812.93 |
| $1,000 | $9,625.86 |
| $5,000 | $48,129.31 |
| $10,000 | $96,258.62 |
| $50,000 | $481,293.10 |
| $100,000 | $962,586.21 |
Buying power of $100 from 1968, year by year
| Year | Avg CPI-U | Inflation that year | Equivalent of $100 from 1968 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $100.00 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $105.46 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $111.49 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $116.38 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $120.11 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $127.59 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $141.67 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $154.60 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $163.51 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $174.14 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $187.36 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $208.62 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $236.78 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $261.21 |
| 1982 | 96.5 | 6.2% | $277.30 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $286.21 |
| 1984 | 103.900 | 4.3% | $298.56 |
| 1985 | 107.600 | 3.6% | $309.20 |
| 1986 | 109.600 | 1.9% | $314.94 |
| 1987 | 113.600 | 3.6% | $326.44 |
| 1988 | 118.300 | 4.1% | $339.94 |
| 1989 | 124.000 | 4.8% | $356.32 |
| 1990 | 130.700 | 5.4% | $375.57 |
| 1991 | 136.200 | 4.2% | $391.38 |
| 1992 | 140.300 | 3.0% | $403.16 |
| 1993 | 144.500 | 3.0% | $415.23 |
| 1994 | 148.200 | 2.6% | $425.86 |
| 1995 | 152.400 | 2.8% | $437.93 |
| 1996 | 156.900 | 3.0% | $450.86 |
| 1997 | 160.500 | 2.3% | $461.21 |
| 1998 | 163.000 | 1.6% | $468.39 |
| 1999 | 166.600 | 2.2% | $478.74 |
| 2000 | 172.200 | 3.4% | $494.83 |
| 2001 | 177.100 | 2.8% | $508.91 |
| 2002 | 179.900 | 1.6% | $516.95 |
| 2003 | 184.000 | 2.3% | $528.74 |
| 2004 | 188.900 | 2.7% | $542.82 |
| 2005 | 195.300 | 3.4% | $561.21 |
| 2006 | 201.600 | 3.2% | $579.31 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $595.81 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $618.69 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $616.49 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $626.60 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $646.38 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $659.75 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $669.42 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $680.28 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $681.08 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $689.68 |
| 2017 | 245.120 | 2.1% | $704.37 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $721.57 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $734.65 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $743.71 |
| 2021 | 270.970 | 4.7% | $778.65 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $840.96 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $875.58 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $901.41 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $925.12 |
| August 2026 | 334.980 | — | $962.59 |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (latest CPI-U ÷ 1968 average CPI-U). For $100: 100 × (334.980 ÷ 34.8) = $962.59. The average annual rate is the compound rate that turns 1968 prices into today’s over the elapsed time, measured from mid-1968 because an annual average describes the middle of the year. CPI-U tracks a broad basket of urban consumer spending; the prices of specific items such as housing, tuition or food have moved by different amounts.
Reverse: $100.00 today had the same buying power as $10.39 in 1968.
Other years
1958 dollars today · 1963 dollars today · 1966 dollars today · 1967 dollars today · 1969 dollars today · 1970 dollars today · 1973 dollars today · 1978 dollars today · Inflation calculator (any two years)
