$1 million in 1948 is worth $13,899,585 today

$1 million in 1948 has the same buying power as

$13,899,585 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 million today buys what $71,944.59 bought in 1948. Cash kept under the mattress since 1948 has lost 93% of its value.

$1 million from nearby years

$1 million inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1943$19,363,0066.1%
1944$19,032,9551.7%
1945$18,610,0002.3%
1946$17,178,4628.3%
1947$15,021,52514.4%
1948$13,899,5858.1%
1949$14,074,790-1.2%
1950$13,899,5851.3%
1951$12,883,8467.9%
1952$12,640,7551.9%
1953$12,546,0670.8%

How $1 million from 1948 grew

$0.00$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M$8.0M$10.0M$12.0M$14.0M195019601970198019902000201020202026.625: $13.9M
$1 million from 1948 in each later year's dollars

$1 million of 1948 spending, by category

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

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$13,425,977
Rent$16,327,164
Gasoline$19,340,753
Medical care$41,180,764
New cars$4,818,097
Electricity$11,569,291
Clothing$3,217,694

Try a different amount or date

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

$13,899,585 in August 2026

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

Questions

How much is $1 million in 1948 worth today?
$1 million in 1948 is worth $13,899,585 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1 million in 1948?
You would need $13,899,585 to buy what $1 million bought in 1948. That is 13.90 times as much.
How much buying power has $1 million lost since 1948?
Kept as cash, $1 million from 1948 buys only what $71,944.59 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 million in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1948