$100 in 2012 has the buying power of $146.75 in September 2026. Prices are 46.8% higher, an average of 2.74% a year, by the official Consumer Price Index (CPI-U): 2012's average index was 229.594 and September 2026's is 336.940. Put the other way, $100 in September 2026 buys what $68.14 did in 2012.
Inflation in 2012 was 2.1% (the change in the year's average CPI from 2011; December to December, 1.7%), the 46th lowest of the 112 years since 1914.
| Year | Average CPI-U | Inflation | $100 then is worth today |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 207.342 | +2.8% | $162.50 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | +3.8% | $156.50 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | −0.4% | $157.05 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | +1.6% | $154.52 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | +3.2% | $149.79 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | +2.1% | $146.75 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | +1.5% | $144.64 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | +1.6% | $142.33 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | +0.1% | $142.16 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | +1.3% | $140.39 |
| 2017 | 245.120 | +2.1% | $137.46 |
| Item | 2012 average | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| dozen large grade-A eggs | $1.84 | $2.27 (September 2026) | +23.6% |
| pound of ground coffee | $5.68 | $9.33 (September 2026) | +64.4% |
| pound of ground beef | $3.03 | $6.79 (September 2026) | +124.2% |
| kilowatt-hour of electricity | $0.130 | $0.196 (September 2026) | +50.8% |
| gallon of whole milk | $3.49 | $4.11 (September 2026) | +17.5% |
| pound of white bread | $1.42 | $1.83 (September 2026) | +29.1% |
| pound of sliced bacon | $4.56 | $6.76 (September 2026) | +48.3% |
| pound of whole chicken | $1.42 | $2.06 (September 2026) | +45.1% |
| pound of cheddar cheese | $5.63 | $6.13 (September 2026) | +9.0% |
| pound of all-purpose flour | $0.517 | $0.545 (September 2026) | +5.4% |
| pound of long-grain white rice | $0.697 | $1.12 (September 2026) | +60.4% |
| pound of white potatoes | $0.659 | $0.989 (September 2026) | +50.1% |
| pound of field-grown tomatoes | $1.46 | $1.99 (September 2026) | +36.7% |
| pound of bananas | $0.602 | $0.656 (September 2026) | +9.0% |
| pound of navel oranges | $1.05 | $1.72 (September 2026) | +63.6% |
| pound of chocolate chip cookies | $3.62 | $5.15 (September 2026) | +42.2% |
BLS average prices, U.S. city average; a year's figure is the average of its monthly prices.
2.74% a year, compounded from the middle of 2012 to September 2026: prices are 46.8% higher in all, so a dollar from 2012 is worth $1.47 today.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), all items, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted, which runs back to January 1913. A year's figure is the average of its monthly indexes, as BLS computes annual averages; today's figure is the latest month, September 2026, so the answer moves each month when BLS publishes a new CPI.
2011 · Inflation calculator, any month since 1913 · 2013
Source: BLS CPI-U, all items, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted (FRED CPIAUCNS); through 2006, BLS's official annual averages. The answer moves each month, when BLS publishes a new CPI.