What 1,000 in 1996 costs today in each country, using the official Eurostat and BLS price indices.
Key findings
- In the euro area, what cost €1,000 in January 1996 cost €1,892 in September 2026: average inflation of 2.10% a year.
- By country, the rise ranges from €1,737 in France to €2,087 in Spain; in the United States, $1,000 became $2,182.
- The euro area was above its 2% target in 13 of the 29 full years; the worst was 2022, at 9.2%.
How we calculated it
We use official consumer price indices: Eurostat's harmonised index (HICP) for the euro area, the European Union and seven countries, and the BLS CPI-U for the United States. We compare January 1996, the first month of Eurostat data, with September 2026, the latest month published in every series. Each year's inflation runs from December to December, and only full years count.
Each area is measured in its own currency: US amounts are dollars and are not converted to euros at any exchange rate. What we compare is how much prices rose in each place.
Country by country
| Area | 1,000 in Jan 1996 is worth in Sep 2026 | Average annual inflation | Years above 2% (of 29) | Highest-inflation year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro area | €1,892 | 2.10% | 13 | 2022 (9.2%) |
| European Union | €2,008 | 2.30% | 15 | 2022 (10.4%) |
| Germany | €1,825 | 1.98% | 11 | 2022 (9.6%) |
| Spain | €2,087 | 2.43% | 17 | 2021 (6.6%) |
| France | €1,737 | 1.82% | 9 | 2022 (6.7%) |
| Ireland | €1,868 | 2.06% | 13 | 2022 (8.2%) |
| Italy | €1,932 | 2.17% | 15 | 2022 (12.2%) |
| Netherlands | €2,077 | 2.41% | 12 | 2022 (11.0%) |
| Portugal | €1,996 | 2.28% | 17 | 2022 (9.8%) |
| United States | $2,182 | 2.58% | 17 | 2021 (7.0%) |
What cost 1,000 in 1996, month by month
US prices rose somewhat faster for almost the whole period. From 2021, the surge pushes both lines up at once: in the euro area, prices rose more between January 2021 and December 2023 (17.8%) than in the previous ten years (12.4%).
What it means for you
Over these thirty years, prices rose by between 74% and 118%, depending on the area: average inflation of between 1.8% and 2.6% a year. It sounds small, but it compounds: money that does not earn at least that much loses purchasing power year after year. That is why it pays to look at returns after inflation, not just the rate the bank quotes. With the inflation calculator you can check it for any month and country.