usa-inflation-calculator

name	usa_inflation_calculator
description	Calculate inflation adjustments using the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) CPI calculator. Use when needing to convert a dollar amount from one year to another based on Consumer Price Index data. Triggers on phrases like: "inflation adjusted", "in today's dollars", "what is X worth in year Y", "CPI calculator", or any request to adjust a historical dollar amount for inflation.

USA Inflation Calculator

This skill uses the official BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) CPI calculator to compute inflation-adjusted dollar amounts.

Usage

Run the script directly:

python3 /home/openclaw/.openclaw/skills/usa_inflation_calculator/scripts/inflation.py <cost> <startYear> <endYear>

Parameters

• cost: Original dollar amount (e.g., 2.50)
• startYear: Starting year (e.g., 2000)
• endYear: Ending year (e.g., 2026)

Example

python3 inflation.py 2.50 2000 2026
# Output: $4.82

This means $2.50 in 2000 has the same purchasing power as $4.82 in 2026.

Notes

• Uses BLS.gov official CPI data
• Formatted as YYYYMM internally (uses January of each year)
• Returns the adjusted dollar amount with formatting