$1 in 1990 is worth $0.87 in 1987

Value of $1 from 1990 to 1987

$1 in 1990 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $0.87 in 1987, an increase of $-0.13 over 3 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 4.78% per year between 1987 and 1990, producing a cumulative price increase of -13.08%.

This means that prices in 1987 are 13.08% lower than average prices since 1990, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.

The inflation rate in 1987 was 3.65%. The inflation rate in 1990 was 5.40%. The 1990 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 2.58% per year between 1990 and 2024.


Inflation from 1990 to 1987
Cumulative price change-13.08%
Average inflation rate4.78%
Converted amount
$1 base
$0.87
Price difference
$1 base
$-0.13
CPI in 1990130.700
CPI in 1987113.600
Inflation in 19873.65%
Inflation in 19905.40%
$1 in 1990$0.87 in 1987

Recent USD inflation
Annual Rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI
Download

Buying power of $1 in 1987

This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $1 in 1987 (price index tracking began in 1635).

For example, if you started with $1, you would need to end with $0.87 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").

When $1 is equivalent to $0.87 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single U.S. dollar decreases over time. In other words, a dollar will pay for fewer items at the store.

This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a dollar over time. By calculating the value in 1987 dollars, the chart below shows how $1 is worth less over 3 years.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, each of these USD amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Dollar inflation: 1987-1990
YearDollar ValueInflation Rate
1987$1.003.65%
1988$1.044.14%
1989$1.094.82%
1990$1.155.40%
1991$1.204.21%
1992$1.243.01%
1993$1.272.99%
1994$1.302.56%
1995$1.342.83%
1996$1.382.95%
1997$1.412.29%
1998$1.431.56%
1999$1.472.21%
2000$1.523.36%
2001$1.562.85%
2002$1.581.58%
2003$1.622.28%
2004$1.662.66%
2005$1.723.39%
2006$1.773.23%
2007$1.832.85%
2008$1.903.84%
2009$1.89-0.36%
2010$1.921.64%
2011$1.983.16%
2012$2.022.07%
2013$2.051.46%
2014$2.081.62%
2015$2.090.12%
2016$2.111.26%
2017$2.162.13%
2018$2.212.49%
2019$2.251.76%
2020$2.281.23%
2021$2.394.70%
2022$2.588.00%
2023$2.684.12%
2024$2.731.85%*
* Compared to previous annual rate. Not final. See inflation summary for latest 12-month trailing value.

This conversion table shows various other 1987 amounts in 1990 dollars, based on the -13.08% change in prices:

Conversion: 1987 dollars in 1990
Initial valueEquivalent value
$1 dollar in 1987$1.15 dollars in 1990
$5 dollars in 1987$5.75 dollars in 1990
$10 dollars in 1987$11.51 dollars in 1990
$50 dollars in 1987$57.53 dollars in 1990
$100 dollars in 1987$115.05 dollars in 1990
$500 dollars in 1987$575.26 dollars in 1990
$1,000 dollars in 1987$1,150.53 dollars in 1990
$5,000 dollars in 1987$5,752.64 dollars in 1990
$10,000 dollars in 1987$11,505.28 dollars in 1990
$50,000 dollars in 1987$57,526.41 dollars in 1990
$100,000 dollars in 1987$115,052.82 dollars in 1990
$500,000 dollars in 1987$575,264.08 dollars in 1990
$1,000,000 dollars in 1987$1,150,528.17 dollars in 1990

Inflation by City

Inflation can vary widely by city, even within the United States. Here's how some cities fared in 1990 to 1987 (figures shown are purchasing power equivalents of $1):

Boston, Massachusetts experienced the highest rate of inflation during the 3 years between 1987 and 1990 (5.83%).

Seattle, Washington experienced the lowest rate of inflation during the 3 years between 1987 and 1990 (0.00%).

Note that some locations showing 0% inflation may have not yet reported latest data.


Inflation by Country

Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £1.00 in 1990 would be equivalent to £0.81 in 1987, an absolute change of £-0.19 and a cumulative change of -19.20%.

In Canada, CA$1.00 in 1990 would be equivalent to CA$0.87 in 1987, an absolute change of CA$-0.13 and a cumulative change of -12.61%.

Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $-0.13 and total percent change of -13.08%.


Inflation by Spending Category

CPI is the weighted combination of many categories of spending that are tracked by the government. Breaking down these categories helps explain the main drivers behind price changes.

Between 1987 and 1990:

This chart shows the average rate of inflation for select CPI categories between 1990 and 1987.

Compare these values to the overall average of 4.78% per year:

CategoryAvg Inflation (%)Total Inflation (%)$1 in 1987 → 1990
Food and beverages5.1816.371.16
Housing4.0112.531.13
Apparel3.9212.221.12
Transportation4.5714.331.14
Medical care7.7525.101.25
Recreation0.000.001.00
Education and communication0.000.001.00
Other goods and services7.3623.731.24

The graph below compares inflation in categories of goods over time. Click on a category such as "Food" to toggle it on or off:

For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1990. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.



How to calculate inflation rate for $1, 1987 to 1990

Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1987 and 1990:

CPI in 1987 CPI in 1990
×
1990 USD value
=
1987 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 130.7 in the year 1990 and 113.6 in 1987:

113.6130.7
×
$1
=
$0.87

$1 in 1990 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $0.87 in 1987.

To get the total inflation rate for the 3 years between 1987 and 1990, we use the following formula:

CPI in 1987 - CPI in 1990CPI in 1990
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (3 years)

Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:

113.6 - 130.7130.7
×
100
=
-13%

Alternate Measurements of Inflation

There are multiple ways to measure inflation. Published rates of inflation will vary depending on methodology. The Consumer Price Index, used above, is the most common standard used globally.

Alternative measurements are sometimes used based on context and economic/political circumstances. Below are a few examples of alternative measurements.

Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Inflation

The PCE Price Index is the U.S. Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation, compiled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. It measures the change in prices of goods and services purchased by consumers.

The PCE Price Index changed by 4.22% per year on average between 1990 and 1987. The total PCE inflation between these dates was 13.21%. In 1990, PCE inflation was 3.09%.

This means that the PCE Index equates $1 in 1990 with $1.13 in 1987, a difference of $0.13. Compare this to the standard CPI measurement, which equates $1 with $0.87. The PCE measured 26.29% inflation compared to standard CPI.

For more information on the difference between PCE and CPI, see this analysis provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Core Inflation

Also of note is the Core CPI, which uses the standard CPI but omits the more volatile categories of food and energy.

Core inflation averaged 4.65% per year between 1990 and 1987 (vs all-CPI inflation of 4.78%), for an inflation total of 14.60%. In 1990, core inflation was 4.12%.

When using the core inflation measurement, $1 in 1990 is equivalent in buying power to $1.15 in 1987, a difference of $0.15. Recall that the converted amount is $0.87 when all items including food and energy are measured.


Data source & citation

Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (CPI), established in 1913. Price index data from 1774 to 1912 is sourced from a historical study conducted by political science professor Robert Sahr at Oregon State University and from the American Antiquarian Society. Price index data from 1634 to 1773 is from the American Antiquarian Society, using British pound equivalents.

You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “$1 in 1990 → 1987 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 28 Mar. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/1990-dollars-in-1987?amount=1.

Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.

in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.


Ian Webster

About the author

Ian Webster is an engineer and data expert based in San Mateo, California. He has worked for Google, NASA, and consulted for governments around the world on data pipelines and data analysis. Disappointed by the lack of clear resources on the impacts of inflation on economic indicators, Ian believes this website serves as a valuable public tool. Ian earned his degree in Computer Science from Dartmouth College.

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Inflation from 1990 to 1987
Cumulative price change-13.08%
Average inflation rate4.78%
Converted amount
$1 base
$0.87
Price difference
$1 base
$-0.13
CPI in 1990130.700
CPI in 1987113.600
Inflation in 19873.65%
Inflation in 19905.40%
$1 in 1990$0.87 in 1987