# How do you calculate inflation?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-calculate-inflation/45958>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 17, 2000, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-calculate-inflation/45958 "2000-12-17T00:39:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-calculate-inflation/45958/1 "2000-12-17T00:39:02Z")

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How do I figure out what a certain amount of money in a certain time, say $20,000 in 1992 dollars, would be in today’s dollars? Are yearly inflation rates listed online anywhere? How would I use them to figure out the above problem?

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**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-calculate-inflation/45958/2 "2000-12-17T01:16:38Z")

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Lizard, try [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/bu2/inflate.html](http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/bu2/inflate.html). It has a ton of inflation calculators listed, some with real, historical data. Hope this helps!

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**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2000, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-calculate-inflation/45958/3 "2000-12-17T01:31:28Z")

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FWIW, the CPI calculator from the URL above shows that $20,000 in 1992 would buy the same as $23740 in 1999. Not right now, I’m afraid, but close enough for government work, apparently.