$5 in 1918 is worth $110.92 today

$5 in 1918 has the same buying power as

$110.92 in August 2026

That is 2,118% more, an average inflation rate of 2.91% a year over 108 years.

Put the other way, $5 today buys what $0.23 bought in 1918. Cash kept under the mattress since 1918 has lost 95% of its value.

$5 from nearby years

$5 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1913$169.18
1914$167.491.0%
1915$165.831.0%
1916$153.667.9%
1917$130.8517.4%
1918$110.9218.0%
1919$96.8214.6%
1920$83.7515.6%
1921$93.57-10.5%
1922$99.70-6.1%
1923$97.951.8%

How $5 from 1918 grew

$0.00$20$40$60$80$100$1201920194019601980200020202026.625: $111
$5 from 1918 in each later year's dollars

$5 of 1918 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5 spent on each of these in 1918 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$104.92
Rent$104.42
Electricity$37.72
Clothing$25.05

Try a different amount or date

$5.00 in 1918 has the same buying power as

$110.92 in August 2026

Prices rose 2,118.4% in total, an average of 2.91% a year.

Questions

How much is $5 in 1918 worth today?
$5 in 1918 is worth $110.92 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5 in 1918?
You would need $110.92 to buy what $5 bought in 1918. That is 22.18 times as much.
How much buying power has $5 lost since 1918?
Kept as cash, $5 from 1918 buys only what $0.23 of 1918 money bought. It has lost 95% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1918?
Prices rose 18.0% in 1918. Since then the average has been 2.91% a year.

Other amounts from 1918

$5 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1918