$1 in 1919 is worth $19.36 today

$1 in 1919 has the same buying power as

$19.36 in August 2026

That is 1,836% more, an average inflation rate of 2.80% a year over 107 years.

Put the other way, $1 today buys what $0.05 bought in 1919. Cash kept under the mattress since 1919 has lost 95% of its value.

$1 from nearby years

$1 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1914$33.501.0%
1915$33.171.0%
1916$30.737.9%
1917$26.1717.4%
1918$22.1818.0%
1919$19.3614.6%
1920$16.7515.6%
1921$18.71-10.5%
1922$19.94-6.1%
1923$19.591.8%
1924$19.590.0%

How $1 from 1919 grew

$0.00$5.00$10$15$201920194019601980200020202026.625: $19
$1 from 1919 in each later year's dollars

$1 of 1919 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1 spent on each of these in 1919 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$18.84
Rent$19.27
Electricity$7.28
Clothing$3.78

Try a different amount or date

$1.00 in 1919 has the same buying power as

$19.36 in August 2026

Prices rose 1,836.3% in total, an average of 2.80% a year.

Questions

How much is $1 in 1919 worth today?
$1 in 1919 is worth $19.36 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1 in 1919?
You would need $19.36 to buy what $1 bought in 1919. That is 19.36 times as much.
How much buying power has $1 lost since 1919?
Kept as cash, $1 from 1919 buys only what $0.05 of 1919 money bought. It has lost 95% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1919?
Prices rose 14.6% in 1919. Since then the average has been 2.80% a year.

Other amounts from 1919

$1 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1919