Inflation Calculator
See how inflation erodes purchasing power with a year-by-year table from any start year.
See how inflation erodes purchasing power with a year-by-year table from any start year.
The value you want to track in today's dollars.
Historical US average is ~3%. Enter your estimate.
Number of years into the future.
Inflation means the same dollar buys less over time. The future value formula shows what a present-day amount will cost in the future, while the purchasing power calculation shows what your money will actually buy.
Future Value = Amount × (1 + Rate)^Years | Purchasing Power = Amount / (1 + Rate)^YearsAt 3% annual inflation, $10,000 in savings loses about 26% of its purchasing power in 10 years — it will only buy what $7,441 buys today if left in a non-interest-bearing account. This highlights the importance of investing savings.
If you plan to need $50,000/year in retirement 30 years from now, you'll actually need about $121,000/year at 3% inflation. Factoring inflation into retirement savings targets is essential to maintain your lifestyle.
Future cost is calculated as Amount × (1 + inflationRate/100)^years. Purchasing power per year is Amount / (1 + inflationRate/100)^year. The percent loss reflects what portion of the future cost is attributable to inflation.