Purchasing Power of the Dollar under Jimmy Carter
Purchasing Power of the Dollar went from $60.82 in Jimmy Carter's first month to $41.32 at month 48: a change of −32.1%. At that point in office it ranks #9 of 9 administrations since 1969. Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
All administrations at month 48
| Rank | Administration | Value at month 48 | Change since month 1 | Latest / end of month 48 | Primary federal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Donald Trump (first term) | $13.62 | −7.0% | $13.62 (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPIAUCSL |
| #2 | Barack Obama | $15.44 | −8.3% | $15.44 (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPIAUCSL |
| #3 | George W. Bush | $18.62 | −8.4% | $18.62 (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPIAUCSL |
| #4 | Bill Clinton | $22.44 | −10.2% | $22.44 (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPIAUCSL |
| #5 | George H. W. Bush | $25.09 | −14.8% | $25.09 (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPIAUCSL |
| #6 | Richard Nixon | $84.00 | −16.0% | $84.00 (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPIAUCSL |
| #7 | Joe Biden | $11.24 | −17.3% | $11.24 (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPIAUCSL |
| #8 | Ronald Reagan | $33.84 | −17.3% | $33.84 (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPIAUCSL |
| #9 | Jimmy Carter | $41.32 | −32.1% | $41.32 (month 48) | Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPIAUCSL |
Methodology and source verification
What a dollar at the start of the term buys at each later month: CPI at month 0 divided by CPI at that month. Ranked on the % change since month 0.
Every administration is aligned to its own inauguration: month 1 is the month it took office, and the comparison runs to month 48 (the first term). Each administration is compared at the same month in office, so a president halfway through a term is never measured against another's full four years.
Primary source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series CPIAUCSL, refreshed hourly. Latest observation 2026-09-01, first published 2026-10-14. Full methods: methodology.