Born that year
1981 figure3.6 million babies
3,629,238 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, 1981 · Source (opens in a new tab)
Born in 1981
America in 1981
In 1981, about 229 million people lived in the United States, 3.6 million babies were born (CDC/NCHS), and James Earl “Jimmy” Carter and Ronald Reagan served as president.
A dollar from 1981 buys what $3.71 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 1981?
How many people lived in the U.S. in 1981?
Americans that year
1981 figure229 million Americans
as of July 1, 1981 (U.S. Census Bureau)
US Census Bureau
US Census Bureau, 1981 · Source (opens in a new tab)
How much did things cost in 1981?
A dollar then
1981 average$3.71 today
By consumer prices, 1981 average vs. Sept. 2026 (BLS CPI-U).
| Gallon of gas (regular unleaded)1981 average | $1.38 |
| First-class stampall of 1981 | 15¢ |
| First-class stampfrom March 22, 1981 | 18¢ |
| First-class stampfrom November 1, 1981 | 20¢ |
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, 1981 · Source (opens in a new tab)
EIA Monthly Energy Review T9.4, 1981 · Source (opens in a new tab)
USPS Historian — Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863, 1981 · Source (opens in a new tab)
How long were people expected to live in 1981?
Life expectancy at birth
1981 figure74.1 years
U.S. life expectancy at birth, 1981 (NCHS)
CDC/NCHS
All races, both sexes. A snapshot of that year’s death rates, not a forecast for any one person.
CDC/NCHS, 1981 · Source (opens in a new tab)
Who was president in 1981?
In the White House
1981James Earl “Jimmy” Carter and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan took office on January 20, 1981.
US House Office of the Historian
US House Office of the Historian, 1981 · Source (opens in a new tab)
A birthday poster from 1981
Someone born in 1981 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 1981 birthdaySee the day you were born in 1981
The weather that day, the Moon that night, and your hometown, each with its source.