This chart, sourced directly from the St. Louis Federal Reserve, displays the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Purchasing Power of the Consumer Dollar in U.S. City Average. Beginning in 1913—the year the Federal Reserve was established—the chart measures the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar over time, indexing it to show how much value the dollar has retained or lost.

By default, the embedded version on this page shows data from 1913 to the present.  However, if you'd like to explore specific time periods-such as the last two decades or a particular historical moment-simply click the "Customize" link in the lower left hand corner of the chart.  This will take you directly to the original chart on the St. Louis Fed's website, where you can adjust the start and end dates as you wish.

One particularly impactful use of this chart is selecting September 30, 2000, the last time the U.S. had a balanced budget, as a starting point and comparing it to today. This view vividly illustrates how much purchasing power the dollar has lost in just two decades.

While many people intuitively understand that inflation erodes the dollar’s value, this chart provides a powerful visual representation of the scale and speed of this erosion. Seeing it in black and white often leaves a lasting impression.