$1 in 1890 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1.01 in 1889. The dollar had an average deflation rate of -1.09% per year since 1889, producing a cumulative price change of 1.10%.
This means that prices in 1889 are 1.01 times as high as average prices since 1890, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1889 was -3.16%. The inflation rate in 1890 was -1.09%. The 1890 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 2.67% per year between 1890 and 2024.
Average inflation rate | -1.09% |
Converted amount $1 base | $1.01 |
Price difference $1 base | $0.01 |
CPI in 1890 | 9.100 |
CPI in 1889 | 9.200 |
Inflation in 1889 | -3.16% |
Inflation in 1890 | -1.09% |
$1 in 1890 | $1.01 in 1889 |
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £1.00 in 1890 would be equivalent to £1.00 in 1889, an absolute change of £0.00 and a cumulative change of 0.00%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $0.01 and total percent change of 1.10%.
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.
This chart shows the average rate of inflation for select CPI categories between 1890 and 1889.
Compare these values to the overall average of -1.09% per year:
Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $1 in 1889 → 1890 |
---|---|---|---|
Food and beverages | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Housing | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Apparel | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Transportation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Medical care | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Recreation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Education and communication | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
Other goods and services | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1890. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1889 and 1890:
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 9.1 in the year 1890 and 9.2 in 1889:
$1 in 1890 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1.01 in 1889.
To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1889 and 1890, we use the following formula:
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (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 1890 → 1889 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 19 Mar. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1890?amount=1&endYear=1889.
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.
Average inflation rate | -1.09% |
Converted amount $1 base | $1.01 |
Price difference $1 base | $0.01 |
CPI in 1890 | 9.100 |
CPI in 1889 | 9.200 |
Inflation in 1889 | -3.16% |
Inflation in 1890 | -1.09% |
$1 in 1890 | $1.01 in 1889 |