$5 in 1917 is worth $130.85 today

$5 in 1917 has the same buying power as

$130.85 in August 2026

That is 2,517% more, an average inflation rate of 3.04% a year over 109 years.

Put the other way, $5 today buys what $0.19 bought in 1917. Cash kept under the mattress since 1917 has lost 96% of its value.

$5 from nearby years

$5 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1913$169.18
1914$167.491.0%
1915$165.831.0%
1916$153.667.9%
1917$130.8517.4%
1918$110.9218.0%
1919$96.8214.6%
1920$83.7515.6%
1921$93.57-10.5%
1922$99.70-6.1%

How $5 from 1917 grew

$0.00$20$40$60$80$100$120$1401920194019601980200020202026.625: $131
$5 from 1917 in each later year's dollars

$5 of 1917 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5 spent on each of these in 1917 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$120.83
Rent$105.90
Electricity$37.81
Clothing$33.85

Try a different amount or date

$5.00 in 1917 has the same buying power as

$130.85 in August 2026

Prices rose 2,517.0% in total, an average of 3.04% a year.

Questions

How much is $5 in 1917 worth today?
$5 in 1917 is worth $130.85 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5 in 1917?
You would need $130.85 to buy what $5 bought in 1917. That is 26.17 times as much.
How much buying power has $5 lost since 1917?
Kept as cash, $5 from 1917 buys only what $0.19 of 1917 money bought. It has lost 96% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1917?
Prices rose 17.4% in 1917. Since then the average has been 3.04% a year.

Other amounts from 1917

$5 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1917