Inflation calculatorBy yearPricesThen vs. now

$1,000 in 1940 is worth how much today?

$24,052.83 in Sep 2026 dollars

$1,000 in 1940 had the same purchasing power as $24,052.83 in Sep 2026. Prices are 24.05× higher, so a dollar from 1940 buys what about $24.05 buys today. Put the other way, $1,000 held as cash since 1940 has lost about 96% of its buying power. Inflation in 1940 was 0.7%. Over the following decade, prices rose 70%.

BLS average item prices start around 1980, so item-by-item comparisons aren't available for 1940. Browse item price histories for later years.

$0$6,033$12,066$18,099$24,13119401951196219731984199520062017

To earn the same today

Someone earning $1,000 a month in 1940 would need about $24,052.83 a month in Sep 2026 to keep the same standard of living, based on CPI-U.

Other amounts: $100 · $10,000 · full 1940 inflation table
Nearby years: 1930 · 1933 · 1935 · 1945 · 1950

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index (series CUUR0000SA0), via the BLS Public Data API. Data retrieved 2026-10-21. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.