$16,615 in 1921 is worth $28,032.01 in 1962

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$16,615 in 1921 has the same purchasing power as $28,032.01 in 1962. Over the 41 years this is a change of $11,417.01.

The average inflation rate of the dollar between 1921 and 1962 was 1.10% per year. The cumulative price increase of the dollar over this time was 68.72%.

The value of $16,615 from 1921 to 1962

So what does this data mean? It means that the prices in 1962 are 280.32 higher than the average prices since 1921. A dollar in 1962 can buy 59.27% of what it could buy in 1921.

These inflation figures use the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) consumer price index to calculate the value of $16,615 between 1921 and 1962.

The inflation rate for 1921 was -10.50%, while the inflation rate for 1962 was 1.00%. The 1962 inflation rate is lower than the average inflation rate of 1.62% per year between 1962 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 $16,615 in 1921

We can look at the buying power equivalent for $16,615 in 1921 to see how much you would need to adjust for in order to beat inflation. For 1921 to 1962, if you started with $16,615 in 1921, you would need to have $28,032.01 in 1921 to keep up with inflation rates.

So if we are saying that $16,615 is equivalent to $28,032.01 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 41 years.

Value of $16,615 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.

Year Dollar Value Inflation Rate
1921 $16,615.00 -10.50%
1922 $15,593.97 -6.15%
1923 $15,872.43 1.79%
1924 $15,872.43 0.00%
1925 $16,243.72 2.34%
1926 $16,429.36 1.14%
1927 $16,150.89 -1.69%
1928 $15,872.43 -1.72%
1929 $15,872.43 0.00%
1930 $15,501.15 -2.34%
1931 $14,108.83 -8.98%
1932 $12,716.51 -9.87%
1933 $12,066.76 -5.11%
1934 $12,438.04 3.08%
1935 $12,716.51 2.24%
1936 $12,902.15 1.46%
1937 $13,366.26 3.60%
1938 $13,087.79 -2.08%
1939 $12,902.15 -1.42%
1940 $12,994.97 0.72%
1941 $13,644.72 5.00%
1942 $15,129.86 10.88%
1943 $16,058.07 6.13%
1944 $16,336.54 1.73%
1945 $16,707.82 2.27%
1946 $18,100.14 8.33%
1947 $20,699.13 14.36%
1948 $22,369.92 8.07%
1949 $22,091.45 -1.24%
1950 $22,369.92 1.26%
1951 $24,133.52 7.88%
1952 $24,597.63 1.92%
1953 $24,783.27 0.75%
1954 $24,968.91 0.75%
1955 $24,876.09 -0.37%
1956 $25,247.37 1.49%
1957 $26,082.77 3.31%
1958 $26,825.34 2.85%
1959 $27,010.98 0.69%
1960 $27,475.08 1.72%
1961 $27,753.55 1.01%
1962 $28,032.01 1.00%

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 68.72%.

Initial Value Equivalent Value
$1.00 in 1921 $1.69 in 1962
$5.00 in 1921 $8.44 in 1962
$10.00 in 1921 $16.87 in 1962
$50.00 in 1921 $84.36 in 1962
$100.00 in 1921 $168.72 in 1962
$500.00 in 1921 $843.58 in 1962
$1,000.00 in 1921 $1,687.15 in 1962
$5,000.00 in 1921 $8,435.75 in 1962
$10,000.00 in 1921 $16,871.51 in 1962
$50,000.00 in 1921 $84,357.54 in 1962
$100,000.00 in 1921 $168,715.08 in 1962
$500,000.00 in 1921 $843,575.42 in 1962
$1,000,000.00 in 1921 $1,687,150.84 in 1962

Calculate Inflation Rate for $16,615 from 1921 to 1962

To calculate the inflation rate of $16,615 from 1921 to 1962, we use the following formula:

$$\dfrac{ 1921\; USD\; value \times CPI\; in\; 1962 }{ CPI\; in\; 1921 } = 1962\; USD\; value $$

We then replace the variables with the historical CPI values. The CPI in 1921 was 17.9 and 30.2 in 1962.

$$\dfrac{ \$16,615 \times 30.2 }{ 17.9 } = \text{ \$28,032.01 } $$

$16,615 in 1921 has the same purchasing power as $28,032.01 in 1962.

To work out the total inflation rate for the 41 years between 1921 and 1962, we can use a different formula:

$$ \dfrac{\text{CPI in 1962 } - \text{ CPI in 1921 } }{\text{CPI in 1921 }} \times 100 = \text{Cumulative rate for 41 years} $$

Again, we can replace those variables with the correct Consumer Price Index values to work out the cumulativate rate:

$$ \dfrac{\text{ 30.2 } - \text{ 17.9 } }{\text{ 17.9 }} \times 100 = \text{ 68.72\% } $$

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.