Born that year
1978 figure3.3 million babies
3,333,279 born in the U.S. (CDC/NCHS)
CDC/NCHS
Registered live births, all races (NVSR 59-1 Table 1), excludes births to nonresidents.
CDC/NCHS, 1978 · Source (opens in a new tab)
Born in 1978
America in 1978
In 1978, about 223 million people lived in the United States, 3.3 million babies were born (CDC/NCHS), and James Earl “Jimmy” Carter was president.
A dollar from 1978 buys what $5.17 buys today, by consumer prices.
The Born Story shows the world on the day you were born — enter a birthday to see the weather, prices, and headlines of that day.
How many babies were born in 1978?
How many people lived in the U.S. in 1978?
Americans that year
1978 figure223 million Americans
as of July 1, 1978 (U.S. Census Bureau)
US Census Bureau
Includes service members overseas.
US Census Bureau, 1978 · Source (opens in a new tab)
How much did things cost in 1978?
A dollar then
1978 average$5.17 today
By consumer prices, 1978 average vs. Sept. 2026 (BLS CPI-U).
| Gallon of gas (regular unleaded)1978 average | 67¢ |
| First-class stampall of 1978 | 13¢ |
| First-class stampfrom May 29, 1978 | 15¢ |
BLS · EIA Monthly Energy Review T9.4 · USPS Historian — Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863
Prices in the table are as charged then, not adjusted for inflation.
BLS, 1978 · Source (opens in a new tab)
EIA Monthly Energy Review T9.4, 1978 · Source (opens in a new tab)
USPS Historian — Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863, 1978 · Source (opens in a new tab)
How long were people expected to live in 1978?
Life expectancy at birth
1978 figure73.5 years
U.S. life expectancy at birth, 1978 (NCHS)
CDC/NCHS
All races, both sexes. A snapshot of that year’s death rates, not a forecast for any one person.
CDC/NCHS, 1978 · Source (opens in a new tab)
Who was president in 1978?
In the White House
1978James Earl “Jimmy” Carter
39th President of the United States
US House Office of the Historian
US House Office of the Historian, 1978 · Source (opens in a new tab)
A birthday poster from 1978
Someone born in 1978 gets a poster of their own day: the weather where they were born, the Moon that night, and what the world looked like, with every fact sourced.
Make one for a 1978 birthdaySee the day you were born in 1978
The weather that day, the Moon that night, and your hometown, each with its source.