$1,000 in 1945 is worth $18,610.00 today

$1,000 in 1945 has the same buying power as

$18,610.00 in August 2026

That is 1,761% more, an average inflation rate of 3.67% a year over 81 years.

Put the other way, $1,000 today buys what $53.73 bought in 1945. Cash kept under the mattress since 1945 has lost 95% of its value.

$1,000 from nearby years

$1,000 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1940$23,927.140.7%
1941$22,787.765.0%
1942$20,550.9210.9%
1943$19,363.016.1%
1944$19,032.951.7%
1945$18,610.002.3%
1946$17,178.468.3%
1947$15,021.5214.4%
1948$13,899.598.1%
1949$14,074.79-1.2%
1950$13,899.591.3%

How $1,000 from 1945 grew

$0.00$5000$10K$15K$20K195019601970198019902000201020202026.625: $19K
$1,000 from 1945 in each later year's dollars

$1,000 of 1945 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1,000 spent on each of these in 1945 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$20,255.38
Rent$18,104.72
Gasoline$25,333.66
Medical care$49,832.18
Electricity$11,073.46
Clothing$4,355.16

Try a different amount or date

$1,000.00 in 1945 has the same buying power as

$18,610.00 in August 2026

Prices rose 1,761.0% in total, an average of 3.67% a year.

Questions

How much is $1,000 in 1945 worth today?
$1,000 in 1945 is worth $18,610.00 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1,000 in 1945?
You would need $18,610.00 to buy what $1,000 bought in 1945. That is 18.61 times as much.
How much buying power has $1,000 lost since 1945?
Kept as cash, $1,000 from 1945 buys only what $53.73 of 1945 money bought. It has lost 95% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1945?
Prices rose 2.3% in 1945. Since then the average has been 3.67% a year.

Other amounts from 1945

$1,000 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1945