$1 million in 1971 is worth $8,271,111 today

$1 million in 1971 has the same buying power as

$8,271,111 in August 2026

That is 727% more, an average inflation rate of 3.91% a year over 55 years.

Put the other way, $1 million today buys what $120,903 bought in 1971. Cash kept under the mattress since 1971 has lost 88% of its value.

$1 million from nearby years

$1 million inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1966$10,338,8892.9%
1967$10,029,3413.1%
1968$9,625,8624.2%
1969$9,127,5205.5%
1970$8,633,5055.7%
1971$8,271,1114.4%
1972$8,013,8763.2%
1973$7,544,5956.2%
1974$6,794,72611.0%
1975$6,226,3949.1%
1976$5,887,1705.8%

How $1 million from 1971 grew

$0.00$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M$8.0M$10.0M198019902000201020202026.625: $8.3M
$1 million from 1971 in each later year's dollars

$1 million of 1971 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1 million spent on each of these in 1971 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$8,673,713
Rent$9,219,651
Gasoline$12,802,064
Medical care$16,426,676
New cars$3,249,819
Electricity$9,146,224
Clothing$2,238,167

Try a different amount or date

$1,000,000 in 1971 has the same buying power as

$8,271,111 in August 2026

Prices rose 727.1% in total, an average of 3.91% a year.

Questions

How much is $1 million in 1971 worth today?
$1 million in 1971 is worth $8,271,111 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1 million in 1971?
You would need $8,271,111 to buy what $1 million bought in 1971. That is 8.27 times as much.
How much buying power has $1 million lost since 1971?
Kept as cash, $1 million from 1971 buys only what $120,903 of 1971 money bought. It has lost 88% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1971?
Prices rose 4.4% in 1971. Since then the average has been 3.91% a year.

Other amounts from 1971

$1 million in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1971