$13,255 in 1916 has the same purchasing power as $195,176.83 in 1997. Over the 81 years this is a change of $181,921.83.
The average inflation rate of the dollar between 1916 and 1997 was 3.57% per year. The cumulative price increase of the dollar over this time was 1,372.48%.
The value of $13,255 from 1916 to 1997
So what does this data mean? It means that the prices in 1997 are 1,951.77 higher than the average prices since 1916. A dollar in 1997 can buy 6.79% of what it could buy in 1916.
These inflation figures use the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) consumer price index to calculate the value of $13,255 between 1916 and 1997.
The inflation rate for 1916 was 7.92%, while the inflation rate for 1997 was 2.29%. The 1997 inflation rate is higher than the average inflation rate of 2.23% per year between 1997 and 2023.
USD Inflation Since 1913
The chart below shows the inflation rate from 1913 when the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI) was first established.
The Buying Power of $13,255 in 1916
We can look at the buying power equivalent for $13,255 in 1916 to see how much you would need to adjust for in order to beat inflation. For 1916 to 1997, if you started with $13,255 in 1916, you would need to have $195,176.83 in 1916 to keep up with inflation rates.
So if we are saying that $13,255 is equivalent to $195,176.83 over time, you can see the core concept of inflation in action. The "real value" of a single dollar decreases over time. It will pay for fewer items at the store than it did previously.
In the chart below you can see how the value of the dollar is worth less over 81 years.
Value of $13,255 Over Time
In the table below we can see the value of the US Dollar over time. According to the BLS, each of these amounts are equivalent in terms of what that amount could purchase at the time.
US Dollar Inflation Conversion
If you're interested to see the effect of inflation on various 1950 amounts, the table below shows how much each amount would be worth today based on the price increase of 1,372.48%.
Calculate Inflation Rate for $13,255 from 1916 to 1997
To calculate the inflation rate of $13,255 from 1916 to 1997, we use the following formula:
$$\dfrac{ 1916\; USD\; value \times CPI\; in\; 1997 }{ CPI\; in\; 1916 } = 1997\; USD\; value $$
We then replace the variables with the historical CPI values. The CPI in 1916 was 10.9 and 160.5 in 1997.
$$\dfrac{ \$13,255 \times 160.5 }{ 10.9 } = \text{ \$195,176.83 } $$
$13,255 in 1916 has the same purchasing power as $195,176.83 in 1997.
To work out the total inflation rate for the 81 years between 1916 and 1997, we can use a different formula:
$$ \dfrac{\text{CPI in 1997 } - \text{ CPI in 1916 } }{\text{CPI in 1916 }} \times 100 = \text{Cumulative rate for 81 years} $$
Again, we can replace those variables with the correct Consumer Price Index values to work out the cumulativate rate:
$$ \dfrac{\text{ 160.5 } - \text{ 10.9 } }{\text{ 10.9 }} \times 100 = \text{ 1,372.48\% } $$
Inflation Rate Definition
The inflation rate is the percentage increase in the average level of prices of a basket of selected goods over time. It indicates a decrease in the purchasing power of currency and results in an increased consumer price index (CPI). Put simply, the inflation rate is the rate at which the general prices of consumer goods increases when the currency purchase power is falling.
The most common cause of inflation is an increase in the money supply, though it can be caused by many different circumstances and events. The value of the floating currency starts to decline when it becomes abundant. What this means is that the currency is not as scarce and, as a result, not as valuable.
By comparing a list of standard products (the CPI), the change in price over time will be measured by the inflation rate. The prices of products such as milk, bread, and gas will be tracked over time after they are grouped together. Inflation shows that the money used to buy these products is not worth as much as it used to be when there is an increase in these products’ prices over time.
The inflation rate is basically the rate at which money loses its value when compared to the basket of selected goods – which is a fixed set of consumer products and services that are valued on an annual basis.