$100 in 1980 is worth $406.53 in August 2026 dollars. Prices are 306.5% higher than they were in 1980, an average inflation rate of 3.09% a year over roughly 46 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
Inflation in 1980
The average CPI-U in 1980 was 82.4, up from 72.6 in 1979 — an annual inflation rate of 13.5%.
1980 was a year of double-digit inflation.
That rate was higher than in 106 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 1980 level by 1999, 19 years later.
Value of $100 from 1980 over time
1980 dollars in today’s dollars
| 1980 dollars | August 2026 dollars |
|---|---|
| $1 | $4.07 |
| $5 | $20.33 |
| $10 | $40.65 |
| $20 | $81.31 |
| $50 | $203.26 |
| $100 | $406.53 |
| $500 | $2,032.65 |
| $1,000 | $4,065.29 |
| $5,000 | $20,326.46 |
| $10,000 | $40,652.91 |
| $50,000 | $203,264.56 |
| $100,000 | $406,529.13 |
Buying power of $100 from 1980, year by year
| Year | Avg CPI-U | Inflation that year | Equivalent of $100 from 1980 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $100.00 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $110.32 |
| 1982 | 96.5 | 6.2% | $117.11 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $120.87 |
| 1984 | 103.900 | 4.3% | $126.09 |
| 1985 | 107.600 | 3.6% | $130.58 |
| 1986 | 109.600 | 1.9% | $133.01 |
| 1987 | 113.600 | 3.6% | $137.86 |
| 1988 | 118.300 | 4.1% | $143.57 |
| 1989 | 124.000 | 4.8% | $150.49 |
| 1990 | 130.700 | 5.4% | $158.62 |
| 1991 | 136.200 | 4.2% | $165.29 |
| 1992 | 140.300 | 3.0% | $170.27 |
| 1993 | 144.500 | 3.0% | $175.36 |
| 1994 | 148.200 | 2.6% | $179.85 |
| 1995 | 152.400 | 2.8% | $184.95 |
| 1996 | 156.900 | 3.0% | $190.41 |
| 1997 | 160.500 | 2.3% | $194.78 |
| 1998 | 163.000 | 1.6% | $197.82 |
| 1999 | 166.600 | 2.2% | $202.18 |
| 2000 | 172.200 | 3.4% | $208.98 |
| 2001 | 177.100 | 2.8% | $214.93 |
| 2002 | 179.900 | 1.6% | $218.33 |
| 2003 | 184.000 | 2.3% | $223.30 |
| 2004 | 188.900 | 2.7% | $229.25 |
| 2005 | 195.300 | 3.4% | $237.01 |
| 2006 | 201.600 | 3.2% | $244.66 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $251.63 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $261.29 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $260.36 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $264.63 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $272.98 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $278.63 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $282.71 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $287.30 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $287.64 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $291.27 |
| 2017 | 245.120 | 2.1% | $297.48 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $304.74 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $310.26 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $314.09 |
| 2021 | 270.970 | 4.7% | $328.85 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $355.16 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $369.78 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $380.69 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $390.71 |
| August 2026 | 334.980 | — | $406.53 |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (latest CPI-U ÷ 1980 average CPI-U). For $100: 100 × (334.980 ÷ 82.4) = $406.53. The average annual rate is the compound rate that turns 1980 prices into today’s over the elapsed time, measured from mid-1980 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 $24.60 in 1980.
Other years
1970 dollars today · 1975 dollars today · 1978 dollars today · 1979 dollars today · 1981 dollars today · 1982 dollars today · 1985 dollars today · 1990 dollars today · Inflation calculator (any two years)
