$1 million in 1974 is worth $6,794,726 today

$1 million in 1974 has the same buying power as

$6,794,726 in August 2026

That is 579% more, an average inflation rate of 3.74% a year over 52 years.

Put the other way, $1 million today buys what $147,173 bought in 1974. Cash kept under the mattress since 1974 has lost 85% of its value.

$1 million from nearby years

$1 million inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1969$9,127,5205.5%
1970$8,633,5055.7%
1971$8,271,1114.4%
1972$8,013,8763.2%
1973$7,544,5956.2%
1974$6,794,72611.0%
1975$6,226,3949.1%
1976$5,887,1705.8%
1977$5,527,7236.5%
1978$5,137,7307.6%
1979$4,614,05011.3%

How $1 million from 1974 grew

$0.00$1.0M$2.0M$3.0M$4.0M$5.0M$6.0M$7.0M198019902000201020202026.625: $6.8M
$1 million from 1974 in each later year's dollars

$1 million of 1974 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1 million spent on each of these in 1974 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$6,359,673
Rent$8,134,004
Gasoline$8,524,597
Medical care$13,985,920
New cars$3,098,534
Electricity$7,030,771
Clothing$1,970,490

Try a different amount or date

$1,000,000 in 1974 has the same buying power as

$6,794,726 in August 2026

Prices rose 579.5% in total, an average of 3.74% a year.

Questions

How much is $1 million in 1974 worth today?
$1 million in 1974 is worth $6,794,726 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1 million in 1974?
You would need $6,794,726 to buy what $1 million bought in 1974. That is 6.79 times as much.
How much buying power has $1 million lost since 1974?
Kept as cash, $1 million from 1974 buys only what $147,173 of 1974 money bought. It has lost 85% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1974?
Prices rose 11.0% in 1974. Since then the average has been 3.74% a year.

Other amounts from 1974

$1 million in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1974