The 2012 conversion factor revision

by Robert Sahr  

For some of the charts, users of Firefox and other non-Internet Explorer web browsers might have to use the “open link target in IE” option or equivalent.  I will work to correct this difficulty in a future revision. 

Revised January 19, 2012 for 2010 and 2011 tables ONLY,  using final 2011 CPI (CPI = 2.24939) and OMB and CBO inflation estimates for 2011-2021 as of January-February 2011 (not yet 2012). 

These tables and all other tables will be revised by mid-March to reflect updated inflation estimates for 2012 and later from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).  At that time, a table of estimated 2012 conversion factors will be added.

Other tables have been revised using data available as of June 2011.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) conversion factors to determine the value of dollars of 1774 to estimated 2022 in dollars of 2011 (estimated), 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, CPI (1982-84), and two special CPI measures, CPI-U-X1 (starting 1950), and CPI-U-RS (starting 1947).

To ease understanding of the value of dollar figures over time, the materials on this page “re-base” the official CPI from its current base (1982-84 average = 1.000) to dollars of more recent years (for example, 2009 = 1.000).

All inflation conversion factors use year-to-year inflation, not December-to-December inflation.  Final 2011 CPI is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index - December 2011, January 19, 2012, Table 1A, CPI-U,  entry for "all items annual average 2011," available from the BLS web site (http://stats.bls.gov/cpi/).

Inflation assumptions:  Inflation conversion factors for 2011 and later years assume 1.55% in 2012, 1.75% in 2013, 1.90% in 2014, 2.05% in 2015, 2.15% in 2016, 2.25% in 2017, and 2.20% in 2018-2022.  As noted earlier, these are averages of OMB and CBO inflation estimates as of January-February 2011, with 2022 added.