$1,000 in 1948 is worth $13,899.59 today

$1,000 in 1948 has the same buying power as

$13,899.59 in August 2026

That is 1,290% more, an average inflation rate of 3.43% a year over 78 years.

Put the other way, $1,000 today buys what $71.94 bought in 1948. Cash kept under the mattress since 1948 has lost 93% of its value.

$1,000 from nearby years

$1,000 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
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%
1951$12,883.857.9%
1952$12,640.751.9%
1953$12,546.070.8%

How $1,000 from 1948 grew

$0.00$2000$4000$6000$8000$10K$12K$14K195019601970198019902000201020202026.625: $14K
$1,000 from 1948 in each later year's dollars

$1,000 of 1948 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1,000 spent on each of these in 1948 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$13,425.98
Rent$16,327.16
Gasoline$19,340.75
Medical care$41,180.76
New cars$4,818.10
Electricity$11,569.29
Clothing$3,217.69

Try a different amount or date

$1,000.00 in 1948 has the same buying power as

$13,899.59 in August 2026

Prices rose 1,290.0% in total, an average of 3.43% a year.

Questions

How much is $1,000 in 1948 worth today?
$1,000 in 1948 is worth $13,899.59 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1,000 in 1948?
You would need $13,899.59 to buy what $1,000 bought in 1948. That is 13.90 times as much.
How much buying power has $1,000 lost since 1948?
Kept as cash, $1,000 from 1948 buys only what $71.94 of 1948 money bought. It has lost 93% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1948?
Prices rose 8.1% in 1948. Since then the average has been 3.43% a year.

Other amounts from 1948

$1,000 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1948