Inflation Analysis Puts Tooth Fairy Gifts into Perspective

A LendEDU survey found Baby Boomers (ages 54 and older) received an average of 69 cents from the Tooth Fairy when they were children.

Each generation received more, with Gen Xers (ages 39 to 53) receiving an average of $1.39, Millennials (ages 24 to 38) receiving $2.13 and Gen Z (receiving an average of $3.25 per tooth.

However, LendEDU put the numbers up against the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator to see how the rising price of a Tooth Fairy gift has coincided with inflation in the U.S. It found older generations, like the Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, were receiving a lot more money than younger generations when the average Tooth Fairy gift is adjusted for inflation.

When inflation is accounted for, the average amount of money received per lost tooth for Millennials ​($3.72) was closest to what Gen Zers have been receiving ($3.25). The average Tooth Fairy gift for Baby Boomers of $0.69 would be $5.77 today, while Gen Xers’ gift of $1.39 would be $5.54 today.