Meats price inflation, 1935→2026

Meats Inflation Calculator

Prices for Meats, 1935-2026 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for meats are 2,875.84% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $575.17 difference in value).

Between 1935 and 2026: Meats experienced an average inflation rate of 3.80% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, meats costing $20 in the year 1935 would cost $595.17 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.54% during this same period, inflation for meats was higher.

Price Inflation for Meats since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1947 (42.40%), 1946 (27.74%), and 1973 (24.64%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20.00 since 1935

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Meats, over time, for $20 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1935	$20.00	-
1936	$19.57	-2.14%
1937	$21.14	8.00%
1938	$19.40	-8.23%
1939	$19.18	-1.10%
1940	$18.73	-2.37%
1941	$21.16	13.00%
1942	$24.33	14.98%
1943	$24.64	1.26%
1944	$23.44	-4.89%
1945	$23.44	0.00% **
1946	$29.94	27.74%
1947	$42.64	42.40%
1948	$48.43	13.59%
1949	$45.53	-5.99%
1950	$48.05	5.55%
1951	$54.42	13.25%
1952	$53.90	-0.96%
1953	$50.33	-6.63%
1954	$50.10	-0.45%
1955	$46.09	-8.01%
1956	$44.62	-3.19%
1957	$49.48	10.91%
1958	$55.06	11.27%
1959	$53.10	-3.57%
1960	$52.15	-1.79%
1961	$52.82	1.28%
1962	$53.85	1.95%
1963	$52.98	-1.61%
1964	$52.21	-1.44%
1965	$56.15	7.53%
1966	$61.39	9.34%
1967	$59.77	-2.64%
1968	$61.14	2.28%
1969	$66.66	9.04%
1970	$70.29	5.44%
1971	$69.81	-0.69%
1972	$77.26	10.67%
1973	$96.29	24.64%
1974	$98.14	1.92%
1975	$106.34	8.36%
1976	$106.54	0.19%
1977	$104.20	-2.20%
1978	$123.64	18.65%
1979	$144.64	16.99%
1980	$148.75	2.84%
1981	$154.15	3.63%
1982	$161.58	4.82%
1983	$159.75	-1.13%
1984	$160.28	0.33%
1985	$158.74	-0.96%
1986	$163.73	3.14%
1987	$176.03	7.51%
1988	$180.09	2.31%
1989	$187.34	4.03%
1990	$206.21	10.07%
1991	$212.78	3.19%
1992	$209.74	-1.43%
1993	$216.13	3.05%
1994	$217.28	0.53%
1995	$217.47	0.09%
1996	$224.99	3.46%
1997	$231.75	3.00%
1998	$227.37	-1.89%
1999	$228.48	0.49%
2000	$241.97	5.90%
2001	$255.73	5.69%
2002	$257.28	0.61%
2003	$271.28	5.44%
2004	$294.09	8.41%
2005	$301.07	2.37%
2006	$303.13	0.68%
2007	$313.02	3.26%
2008	$323.98	3.50%
2009	$321.95	-0.63%
2010	$331.07	2.84%
2011	$360.30	8.83%
2012	$372.41	3.36%
2013	$376.90	1.21%
2014	$411.72	9.24%
2015	$424.18	3.03%
2016	$405.38	-4.43%
2017	$403.02	-0.58%
2018	$404.67	0.41%
2019	$409.91	1.30%
2020	$440.15	7.38%
2021	$473.89	7.66%
2022	$512.75	8.20%
2023	$523.34	2.07%
2024	$538.26	2.85%
2025	$569.73	5.85%
2026	$595.17	4.46%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.

Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Meats:

Year	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
CPI	12.458	12.192	13.167	12.083	11.950	11.667	13.183	15.158	15.350	14.600	14.600	18.650	26.558	30.167	28.358	29.933	33.900	33.575	31.350	31.208	28.708	27.792	30.825	34.300	33.075	32.483	32.900	33.542	33.000	32.525	34.975	38.242	37.233	38.083	41.525	43.783	43.483	48.125	59.983	61.133	66.242	66.367	64.908	77.017	90.100	92.658	96.025	100.650	99.508	99.842	98.883	101.992	109.650	112.183	116.700	128.450	132.542	130.650	134.633	135.350	135.467	140.150	144.358	141.633	142.325	150.725	159.300	160.267	168.983	183.192	187.542	188.825	194.983	201.815	200.545	206.232	224.439	231.981	234.778	256.469	264.232	252.521	251.048	252.076	255.341	274.178	295.191	319.397	326.000	335.289	354.897	370.740

Adjust meats prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2026 / CPI in 1935 * 1935 USD value = 2026 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Meats was 12.458 in the year 1935 and 370.740 in 2026:

370.740 / 12.458 * $20 = $595.17

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1935 has the same "purchasing power" as $595.17 in 2026 (in the CPI category of Meats).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Meats in 1935. In addition to meats, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.