Consumer Price Index, 1950-1997

Emil Pocock, History and American Studies, Eastern Connecticut State University

Consumer Price Index, 1950-1997

Use this table to determine what a 1950 to 1996 dollar was worth in terms of 1997 money. Multiply the price of anything in a former year by the conversion factor to calculate price in 1997 dollars.

In 1958, for example, gasoline commonly cost 29.9¢ per gallon. What was that in terms of 1997 money? Multiply .299 (29.9¢) times the 1958 conversion factor of 5.13. The answer is $1.53, which suggests that gasoline may not have been any cheaper back then!

For more information about the Consumer Price Index and for longer 1913-2000 series, click on Consumer Price Index.

Year	Factor	Year	Factor
1950	6.13	1975	2.87
1951	5.68	1976	2.72
1952	5.59	1977	2.55
1953	5.56	1978	2.39
1954	5.52	1979	2.18
1955	5.52	1980	1.96
1956	5.43	1981	1.79
1957	5.29	1982	1.69
1958	5.13	1983	1.62
1959	5.10	1984	1.55
1960	5.00	1985	1.50
1961	4.95	1986	1.47
1962	4.93	1987	1.42
1963	4.83	1988	1.36
1964	4.78	1989	1.30
1965	4.72	1990	1.23
1966	4.59	1991	1.18
1967	4.44	1992	1.15
1968	4.27	1993	1.12
1969	4.10	1994	1.09
1970	3.91	1995	1.06
1971	3.75	1996	1.03
1972	3.64	1997	1.00
1973	3.41
1974	3.11

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Created and maintained by Emil Pocock, pocock@easternct.edu. Last revised November 26, 2004.
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