$1,000 in 1952 is worth $12,640.75 today

$1,000 in 1952 has the same buying power as

$12,640.75 in August 2026

That is 1,164% more, an average inflation rate of 3.48% a year over 74 years.

Put the other way, $1,000 today buys what $79.11 bought in 1952. Cash kept under the mattress since 1952 has lost 92% of its value.

$1,000 from nearby years

$1,000 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
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%
1954$12,452.790.7%
1955$12,499.25-0.4%
1956$12,315.441.5%
1957$11,921.003.3%

How $1,000 from 1952 grew

$0.00$2000$4000$6000$8000$10K$12K$14K19601970198019902000201020202026.625: $13K
$1,000 from 1952 in each later year's dollars

$1,000 of 1952 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1,000 spent on each of these in 1952 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$12,209.69
Rent$13,944.01
Gasoline$17,986.90
Medical care$35,509.16
New cars$3,840.06
Electricity$11,233.95
Clothing$3,143.72

Try a different amount or date

$1,000.00 in 1952 has the same buying power as

$12,640.75 in August 2026

Prices rose 1,164.1% in total, an average of 3.48% a year.

Questions

How much is $1,000 in 1952 worth today?
$1,000 in 1952 is worth $12,640.75 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1,000 in 1952?
You would need $12,640.75 to buy what $1,000 bought in 1952. That is 12.64 times as much.
How much buying power has $1,000 lost since 1952?
Kept as cash, $1,000 from 1952 buys only what $79.11 of 1952 money bought. It has lost 92% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1952?
Prices rose 1.9% in 1952. Since then the average has been 3.48% a year.

Other amounts from 1952

$1,000 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1952