$21,872 in 1979 is worth $67,766.75 in 2011

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$21,872 in 1979 has the same purchasing power as $67,766.75 in 2011. Over the 32 years this is a change of $45,894.75.

The average inflation rate of the dollar between 1979 and 2011 was 3.86% per year. The cumulative price increase of the dollar over this time was 209.83%.

The value of $21,872 from 1979 to 2011

So what does this data mean? It means that the prices in 2011 are 677.67 higher than the average prices since 1979. A dollar in 2011 can buy 32.28% of what it could buy in 1979.

These inflation figures use the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) consumer price index to calculate the value of $21,872 between 1979 and 2011.

The inflation rate for 1979 was 11.35%, while the inflation rate for 2011 was 3.16%. The 2011 inflation rate is higher than the average inflation rate of 0.92% per year between 2011 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 $21,872 in 1979

We can look at the buying power equivalent for $21,872 in 1979 to see how much you would need to adjust for in order to beat inflation. For 1979 to 2011, if you started with $21,872 in 1979, you would need to have $67,766.75 in 1979 to keep up with inflation rates.

So if we are saying that $21,872 is equivalent to $67,766.75 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 32 years.

Value of $21,872 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
1979 $21,872.00 11.35%
1980 $24,824.42 13.50%
1981 $27,385.19 10.32%
1982 $29,072.29 6.16%
1983 $30,006.21 3.21%
1984 $31,301.66 4.32%
1985 $32,416.35 3.56%
1986 $33,018.89 1.86%
1987 $34,223.96 3.65%
1988 $35,639.91 4.14%
1989 $37,357.13 4.82%
1990 $39,375.63 5.40%
1991 $41,032.60 4.21%
1992 $42,267.79 3.01%
1993 $43,533.11 2.99%
1994 $44,647.80 2.56%
1995 $45,913.12 2.83%
1996 $47,268.83 2.95%
1997 $48,353.39 2.29%
1998 $49,106.56 1.56%
1999 $50,191.12 2.21%
2000 $51,878.21 3.36%
2001 $53,354.42 2.85%
2002 $54,197.97 1.58%
2003 $55,433.17 2.28%
2004 $56,909.38 2.66%
2005 $58,837.49 3.39%
2006 $60,735.47 3.23%
2007 $62,465.35 2.85%
2008 $64,863.74 3.84%
2009 $64,632.97 -0.36%
2010 $65,693.12 1.64%
2011 $67,766.75 3.16%

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 209.83%.

Initial Value Equivalent Value
$1.00 in 1979 $3.10 in 2011
$5.00 in 1979 $15.49 in 2011
$10.00 in 1979 $30.98 in 2011
$50.00 in 1979 $154.92 in 2011
$100.00 in 1979 $309.83 in 2011
$500.00 in 1979 $1,549.17 in 2011
$1,000.00 in 1979 $3,098.33 in 2011
$5,000.00 in 1979 $15,491.67 in 2011
$10,000.00 in 1979 $30,983.33 in 2011
$50,000.00 in 1979 $154,916.67 in 2011
$100,000.00 in 1979 $309,833.33 in 2011
$500,000.00 in 1979 $1,549,166.67 in 2011
$1,000,000.00 in 1979 $3,098,333.33 in 2011

Calculate Inflation Rate for $21,872 from 1979 to 2011

To calculate the inflation rate of $21,872 from 1979 to 2011, we use the following formula:

$$\dfrac{ 1979\; USD\; value \times CPI\; in\; 2011 }{ CPI\; in\; 1979 } = 2011\; USD\; value $$

We then replace the variables with the historical CPI values. The CPI in 1979 was 72.6 and 224.939 in 2011.

$$\dfrac{ \$21,872 \times 224.939 }{ 72.6 } = \text{ \$67,766.75 } $$

$21,872 in 1979 has the same purchasing power as $67,766.75 in 2011.

To work out the total inflation rate for the 32 years between 1979 and 2011, we can use a different formula:

$$ \dfrac{\text{CPI in 2011 } - \text{ CPI in 1979 } }{\text{CPI in 1979 }} \times 100 = \text{Cumulative rate for 32 years} $$

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

$$ \dfrac{\text{ 224.939 } - \text{ 72.6 } }{\text{ 72.6 }} \times 100 = \text{ 209.83\% } $$

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.