$5,000 in 1918 is worth $110,921 today

$5,000 in 1918 has the same buying power as

$110,921 in August 2026

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

Put the other way, $5,000 today buys what $225.39 bought in 1918. Cash kept under the mattress since 1918 has lost 95% of its value.

$5,000 from nearby years

$5,000 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1913$169,182
1914$167,4901.0%
1915$165,8321.0%
1916$153,6617.9%
1917$130,85217.4%
1918$110,92118.0%
1919$96,815.0314.6%
1920$83,745.0015.6%
1921$93,569.83-10.5%
1922$99,696.43-6.1%
1923$97,947.371.8%

How $5,000 from 1918 grew

$0.00$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K$120K1920194019601980200020202026.625: $111K
$5,000 from 1918 in each later year's dollars

$5,000 of 1918 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5,000 spent on each of these in 1918 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$104,916
Rent$104,418
Electricity$37,719.83
Clothing$25,046.15

Try a different amount or date

$5,000.00 in 1918 has the same buying power as

$110,921 in August 2026

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

Questions

How much is $5,000 in 1918 worth today?
$5,000 in 1918 is worth $110,921 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5,000 in 1918?
You would need $110,921 to buy what $5,000 bought in 1918. That is 22.18 times as much.
How much buying power has $5,000 lost since 1918?
Kept as cash, $5,000 from 1918 buys only what $225.39 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

$5,000 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1918