$100 in 1978 is worth $139.38 in 1981

1.39× price rise

Average US inflation: 11.70% a year over 3 years. Prices did not double in this span. Highest year: 1980 (13.5%). Lowest: 1981 (10.4%).

Converter

1978	in 1981	1981 amount in 1978 money
$1	$1.39	$0.72
$10	$13.94	$7.17
$100	$139.38	$71.75
$1,000	$1,393.79	$717.47
$10,000	$13,937.92	$7,174.67
$100,000	$139,379.23	$71,746.70

Year by year (value of $100 from 1978)

Year	Value	Inflation
1978	$100.00
1979	$111.25	11.3%
1980	$126.27	13.5%
1981	$139.38	10.4%

1978–1980 · 1978–1982 · All years

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How much is $100 from 1978 worth in 1981?

$100 in 1978 had about the same buying power as $139.38 in 1981, based on US consumer price index data.

What was the average inflation rate in US from 1978 to 1981?

About 11.70% per year, compounding to a 39.4% total rise in prices over 3 years.

Which year between 1978 and 1981 had the highest inflation?

1980 saw the largest annual rise in the index (13.5%); the lowest was 1981 (10.4%).

Historical statistics for education only. Not investment advice. US CPI: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U (public domain), annual averages; 2026 = Sep 2026 index. India CPI: World Bank WDI FP.CPI.TOTL (source IMF IFS), licensed CC BY 4.0. INR/USD: Federal Reserve Board H.10. Sources & method · Embed this calculator · BacktestCard