$1 million in 1973 is worth $7,544,595 today

$1 million in 1973 has the same buying power as

$7,544,595 in August 2026

That is 654% more, an average inflation rate of 3.88% a year over 53 years.

Put the other way, $1 million today buys what $132,545 bought in 1973. Cash kept under the mattress since 1973 has lost 87% of its value.

$1 million from nearby years

$1 million inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
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%
1977$5,527,7236.5%
1978$5,137,7307.6%

How $1 million from 1973 grew

$0.00$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M$8.0M198019902000201020202026.625: $7.5M
$1 million from 1973 in each later year's dollars

$1 million of 1973 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1 million spent on each of these in 1973 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$7,270,083
Rent$8,552,324
Gasoline$11,530,064
Medical care$15,283,582
New cars$3,279,471
Electricity$8,290,294
Clothing$2,116,904

Try a different amount or date

$1,000,000 in 1973 has the same buying power as

$7,544,595 in August 2026

Prices rose 654.5% in total, an average of 3.88% a year.

Questions

How much is $1 million in 1973 worth today?
$1 million in 1973 is worth $7,544,595 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1 million in 1973?
You would need $7,544,595 to buy what $1 million bought in 1973. That is 7.54 times as much.
How much buying power has $1 million lost since 1973?
Kept as cash, $1 million from 1973 buys only what $132,545 of 1973 money bought. It has lost 87% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1973?
Prices rose 6.2% in 1973. Since then the average has been 3.88% a year.

Other amounts from 1973

$1 million in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1973