How much is $100 from 1990 worth today?
$100 from 1990 is worth about $257.80 today, at September 2026 prices. Prices have risen 157.8% since 1990, an average of 2.6% a year, so a 1990 dollar buys 39¢ worth today.
| Year | $1 then | $100 then | $1,000 then | Prices since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | $34.03 | $3,403.43 | $34,034.34 | +3,303% |
| 1920 | $16.85 | $1,684.70 | $16,847.00 | +1,585% |
| 1930 | $20.18 | $2,017.60 | $20,176.05 | +1,918% |
| 1940 | $24.07 | $2,406.71 | $24,067.14 | +2,307% |
| 1950 | $13.98 | $1,398.09 | $13,980.91 | +1,298% |
| 1960 | $11.38 | $1,138.31 | $11,383.11 | +1,038% |
| 1970 | $8.68 | $868.40 | $8,684.02 | +768.4% |
| 1975 | $6.26 | $626.28 | $6,262.83 | +526.3% |
| 1980 | $4.09 | $408.91 | $4,089.08 | +308.9% |
| 1985 | $3.13 | $313.14 | $3,131.41 | +213.1% |
| 1990 | $2.58 | $257.80 | $2,577.96 | +157.8% |
| 1995 | $2.21 | $221.09 | $2,210.89 | +121.1% |
| 2000 | $1.96 | $195.67 | $1,956.68 | +95.7% |
| 2005 | $1.73 | $172.52 | $1,725.24 | +72.5% |
| 2010 | $1.55 | $154.52 | $1,545.20 | +54.5% |
| 2015 | $1.42 | $142.16 | $1,421.59 | +42.2% |
| 2020 | $1.30 | $130.19 | $1,301.88 | +30.2% |
| 2021 | $1.24 | $124.35 | $1,243.46 | +24.3% |
| 2022 | $1.15 | $115.13 | $1,151.32 | +15.1% |
| 2023 | $1.11 | $110.58 | $1,105.80 | +10.6% |
| 2024 | $1.07 | $107.41 | $1,074.12 | +7.4% |
| 2025 | $1.05 | $104.66 | $1,046.58 | +4.7% |
What is the average inflation rate since 1913?
US consumer prices have risen an average of 3.2% a year since 1913, the first year of the consumer price index. A dollar from 1913 is worth $34.03 today, and it buys 2.9¢ worth. Inflation averaged 7.1% a year in the 1970s, 1.8% in the 2010s and 3.9% from 2020 through 2025, and prices fell in the 1920s and 1930s.
| Decade | Average a year | Over the decade |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s (1913–1919) | 9.7% | +74.7% |
| 1920s | −0.1% | −1.2% |
| 1930s | −2.1% | −18.7% |
| 1940s | 5.5% | +71.2% |
| 1950s | 2.0% | +22.3% |
| 1960s | 2.3% | +26.1% |
| 1970s | 7.1% | +97.8% |
| 1980s | 5.5% | +70.8% |
| 1990s | 3.0% | +34.4% |
| 2000s | 2.6% | +28.8% |
| 2010s | 1.8% | +19.2% |
| 2020s (2019–2025) | 3.9% | +25.9% |
How much has the dollar lost in value?
A dollar from 2000 buys about 51¢ worth of goods and services today, a 1980 dollar 24¢ and a 1970 dollar 12¢, measured by the consumer price index. Put the other way, it takes $1.96 today to buy what $1 bought in 2000, and $8.68 to buy what $1 bought in 1970.
What is the inflation rate right now?
Consumer prices rose 3.7% in the 12 months to September 2026, before seasonal adjustment, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the whole of 2025, prices averaged 2.6% higher than in 2024. The highest yearly rate since 2000 was 8.0%, in 2022.
Which year had the highest inflation?
1918 had the highest inflation since the index began in 1913: prices rose 18.0% on average, at the end of World War I. Since 1950 the peak was 1980, at 13.5%. Prices fell in 13 years, most steeply in 1921 (−10.5%) and most recently in 2009.
Inflation rate by year since 1913
Each year's inflation rate is the change in its average consumer price index from the year before, the measure BLS uses for annual averages. The last column is what $100 from that year is worth at September 2026 prices.
All 113 years, 1913 to 2025
| Year | CPI-U | Inflation | $100 then, today |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $104.66 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $107.41 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $110.58 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $115.13 |
| 2021 | 270.970 | 4.7% | $124.35 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $130.19 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $131.79 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $134.18 |
| 2017 | 245.120 | 2.1% | $137.46 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $140.39 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $142.16 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $142.33 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $144.64 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $146.75 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $149.79 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $154.52 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | −0.4% | $157.05 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $156.50 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $162.50 |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.2% | $167.13 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $172.52 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $178.37 |
| 2003 | 184.0 | 2.3% | $183.12 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $187.29 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $190.25 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $195.67 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $202.24 |
| 1998 | 163.0 | 1.6% | $206.71 |
| 1997 | 160.5 | 2.3% | $209.93 |
| 1996 | 156.9 | 3.0% | $214.75 |
| 1995 | 152.4 | 2.8% | $221.09 |
| 1994 | 148.2 | 2.6% | $227.35 |
| 1993 | 144.5 | 3.0% | $233.18 |
| 1992 | 140.3 | 3.0% | $240.16 |
| 1991 | 136.2 | 4.2% | $247.39 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | 5.4% | $257.80 |
| 1989 | 124.0 | 4.8% | $271.73 |
| 1988 | 118.3 | 4.1% | $284.82 |
| 1987 | 113.6 | 3.6% | $296.60 |
| 1986 | 109.6 | 1.9% | $307.43 |
| 1985 | 107.6 | 3.6% | $313.14 |
| 1984 | 103.9 | 4.3% | $324.29 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $338.29 |
| 1982 | 96.5 | 6.2% | $349.16 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $370.67 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $408.91 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $464.10 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $516.78 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $556.01 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $592.16 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $626.28 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $683.45 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $758.87 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $806.08 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $831.95 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $868.40 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $918.09 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $968.22 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $1,008.80 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $1,039.94 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $1,069.65 |
| 1964 | 31.0 | 1.3% | $1,086.90 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $1,101.11 |
| 1962 | 30.2 | 1.0% | $1,115.70 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $1,126.89 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $1,138.31 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $1,157.87 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $1,165.88 |
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $1,199.07 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $1,238.75 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | −0.4% | $1,257.24 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $1,252.57 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $1,261.95 |
| 1952 | 26.5 | 1.9% | $1,271.47 |
| 1951 | 26.0 | 7.9% | $1,295.92 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $1,398.09 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | −1.2% | $1,415.71 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $1,398.09 |
| 1947 | 22.3 | 14.4% | $1,510.94 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $1,727.90 |
| 1945 | 18.0 | 2.3% | $1,871.89 |
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $1,914.43 |
| 1943 | 17.3 | 6.1% | $1,947.63 |
| 1942 | 16.3 | 10.9% | $2,067.12 |
| 1941 | 14.7 | 5.0% | $2,292.11 |
| 1940 | 14.0 | 0.7% | $2,406.71 |
| 1939 | 13.9 | −1.4% | $2,424.03 |
| 1938 | 14.1 | −2.1% | $2,389.65 |
| 1937 | 14.4 | 3.6% | $2,339.86 |
| 1936 | 13.9 | 1.5% | $2,424.03 |
| 1935 | 13.7 | 2.2% | $2,459.42 |
| 1934 | 13.4 | 3.1% | $2,514.48 |
| 1933 | 13.0 | −5.1% | $2,591.85 |
| 1932 | 13.7 | −9.9% | $2,459.42 |
| 1931 | 15.2 | −9.0% | $2,216.71 |
| 1930 | 16.7 | −2.3% | $2,017.60 |
| 1929 | 17.1 | 0.0% | $1,970.41 |
| 1928 | 17.1 | −1.7% | $1,970.41 |
| 1927 | 17.4 | −1.7% | $1,936.44 |
| 1926 | 17.7 | 1.1% | $1,903.62 |
| 1925 | 17.5 | 2.3% | $1,925.37 |
| 1924 | 17.1 | 0.0% | $1,970.41 |
| 1923 | 17.1 | 1.8% | $1,970.41 |
| 1922 | 16.8 | −6.1% | $2,005.60 |
| 1921 | 17.9 | −10.5% | $1,882.35 |
| 1920 | 20.0 | 15.6% | $1,684.70 |
| 1919 | 17.3 | 14.6% | $1,947.63 |
| 1918 | 15.1 | 18.0% | $2,231.39 |
| 1917 | 12.8 | 17.4% | $2,632.34 |
| 1916 | 10.9 | 7.9% | $3,091.19 |
| 1915 | 10.1 | 1.0% | $3,336.04 |
| 1914 | 10.0 | 1.0% | $3,369.40 |
| 1913 | 9.9 | — | $3,403.43 |
How do you calculate the value of money from a past year?
Multiply the amount by the later consumer price index and divide by the earlier one. The CPI-U averaged 130.7 in 1990 and was 336.940 in September 2026, so $100 × 336.940 ÷ 130.7 = $257.80. For the average yearly rate, raise the ratio of the two indexes to the power of 1 divided by the number of years, then subtract 1.
- Each year uses its annual average CPI-U as BLS publishes it, and today uses the latest monthly index, September 2026.
- Average inflation is the yearly rate that compounds to the total change. Years are counted from the middle of each year, or of the latest month for today.
- The index is not seasonally adjusted, the series BLS uses for annual averages and its own calculator. Annual averages from BLS, monthly index via FRED (CPIAUCNS), updated October 18, 2026.
- BLS has no October 2025 index because of the 2025 government shutdown; its 2025 average covers the other 11 months.
For a month-by-month comparison, use the BLS CPI Inflation Calculator. The CPI-U covers about 93% of the US population.