Inflation Calculator
Pick what you want to find: what an amount will cost after some years of steady inflation, what a future sum is worth in today's money, the average yearly inflation between two prices, or the real return on your money after inflation. You choose the inflation rate, so the calculator works for any country, any year and any basket of goods. It also shows the buying power lost and how long prices take to double. Everything runs in your browser.
| Year | Costs | Worth in today's money |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
| 1 | 103.00 | 97.09 |
| 2 | 106.09 | 94.26 |
| 3 | 109.27 | 91.51 |
| 4 | 112.55 | 88.85 |
| 5 | 115.93 | 86.26 |
| 6 | 119.41 | 83.75 |
| 7 | 122.99 | 81.31 |
| 8 | 126.68 | 78.94 |
| 9 | 130.48 | 76.64 |
| 10 | 134.39 | 74.41 |
With steady inflation of r a year, a price grows by (1 + r) each year, so an amount costs amount x (1 + r) to the power of years after that time. A future sum is worth its amount divided by the same factor in today's money. The real return is (1 + return) / (1 + inflation) - 1, which is a little below the simple difference. No price index data is built in: you choose the rate, and real inflation changes from year to year and differs by country and by what you buy. Your numbers stay in your browser.
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Math & MoneyAbout the Inflation Calculator
With inflation of r a year, prices grow by a factor of (1 + r) each year, so something that costs 100 today costs 100 x (1.03) to the power of 10, which is 134.39, after 10 years at 3%. Turned around, 100 received in 10 years is worth 100 / 1.3439, which is 74.41 in today's money, so 25.6% of its buying power is lost. The average yearly inflation between two prices is (end price / start price) to the power of 1 / years, minus 1, so a price that rises from 100 to 150 in 10 years averaged 4.14% a year. The real return is (1 + return) / (1 + inflation) - 1, so a 7% return with 3% inflation is a real return of about 3.88%, a little less than the simple difference of 4. The calculator does not include price index data. Real inflation moves from year to year, differs between countries and between goods, and your own spending basket may rise faster or slower than the official figure. Use a rate from your national statistics office when you want a historical answer, and treat a chosen rate as a planning assumption, not a forecast.
How do I calculate the effect of inflation?▾
Multiply the amount by one plus the inflation rate, raised to the number of years. At 3% for 10 years, 100 becomes 134.39 in cost.
What is the real return on an investment?▾
It is the return after inflation, found as (1 + return) / (1 + inflation) - 1. A 7% return with 3% inflation is a real return of about 3.88%.
How long for prices to double?▾
Divide the natural log of 2 by the natural log of one plus the rate. At 3% it takes about 23.45 years. The rule of 72 gives a quick estimate of 72 divided by the rate in percent.
Which inflation rate should I use?▾
Use the official consumer price figure for your country for a historical question, or a long-run assumption such as 2% to 3% for planning. Remember that your own costs may rise faster or slower.
Is my data uploaded?▾
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.