$1,000 in 1973 is worth $7,544.59 today

$1,000 in 1973 has the same buying power as

$7,544.59 in August 2026

That is 654% more, an average inflation rate of 3.88% a year over 53 years.

Put the other way, $1,000 today buys what $132.55 bought in 1973. Cash kept under the mattress since 1973 has lost 87% of its value.

$1,000 from nearby years

$1,000 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1968$9,625.864.2%
1969$9,127.525.5%
1970$8,633.515.7%
1971$8,271.114.4%
1972$8,013.883.2%
1973$7,544.596.2%
1974$6,794.7311.0%
1975$6,226.399.1%
1976$5,887.175.8%
1977$5,527.726.5%
1978$5,137.737.6%

How $1,000 from 1973 grew

$0.00$2000$4000$6000$8000198019902000201020202026.625: $7545
$1,000 from 1973 in each later year's dollars

$1,000 of 1973 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1,000 spent on each of these in 1973 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$7,270.08
Rent$8,552.32
Gasoline$11,530.06
Medical care$15,283.58
New cars$3,279.47
Electricity$8,290.29
Clothing$2,116.90

Try a different amount or date

$1,000.00 in 1973 has the same buying power as

$7,544.59 in August 2026

Prices rose 654.5% in total, an average of 3.88% a year.

Questions

How much is $1,000 in 1973 worth today?
$1,000 in 1973 is worth $7,544.59 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1,000 in 1973?
You would need $7,544.59 to buy what $1,000 bought in 1973. That is 7.54 times as much.
How much buying power has $1,000 lost since 1973?
Kept as cash, $1,000 from 1973 buys only what $132.55 of 1973 money bought. It has lost 87% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1973?
Prices rose 6.2% in 1973. Since then the average has been 3.88% a year.

Other amounts from 1973

$1,000 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1973