Value of Bs. 1 from 1990 to 2008
Bs. 1 in 1990 is equivalent in purchasing power to about Bs. 165.50 in 2008, an increase of Bs. 164.50 over 18 years. The bolivar had an average inflation rate of 32.82% per year between 1990 and 2008, producing a cumulative price increase of 16,449.93%.
This means that prices in 2008 are 165.50 times as high as average prices in 1990, according to the International Monetary Fund consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1990 was 40.70%. The inflation rate in 2008 was 31.40%. The 2008 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 313.81% per year between 2008 and 2021.
Contents
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| Cumulative price change | 16,449.93% |
| Average inflation rate | 32.82% |
|
Converted amount
Bs. 1 base | Bs. 165.50 |
|
Price difference
Bs. 1 base | Bs. 164.50 |
| CPI in 1990 | 985.422 |
| CPI in 2008 | 163,086.647 |
| Inflation in 1990 | 40.70% |
| Inflation in 2008 | 31.40% |
| Bs. 1 in 1990 | Bs. 165.50 in 2008 |
Buying power of Bs. 1 in 1990
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for Bs. 1 in 1990 (price index tracking began in 1979).
For example, if you started with Bs. 1, you would need to end with Bs. 165.50 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When Bs. 1 is equivalent to Bs. 165.50 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single Venezuelan bolivar decreases over time. In other words, a bolivar will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a bolivar over time. By calculating the value in 1990 dollars, the chart below shows how Bs. 1 is worth less over 18 years.
According to the International Monetary Fund, each of these VEF amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1990 amounts in 2008 bolivars, based on the 16,449.93% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| Bs. 1 bolivar in 1990 | Bs. 165.50 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 5 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 827.50 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 10 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 1,654.99 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 50 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 8,274.97 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 100 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 16,549.93 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 500 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 82,749.66 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 1,000 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 165,499.33 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 5,000 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 827,496.65 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 10,000 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 1,654,993.29 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 50,000 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 8,274,966.46 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 100,000 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 16,549,932.93 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 500,000 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 82,749,664.64 bolivars in 2008 |
| Bs. 1,000,000 bolivars in 1990 | Bs. 165,499,329.28 bolivars in 2008 |
How to calculate inflation rate for Bs. 1, 1990 to 2008
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1990 and 2008:
CPI in 2008CPI in 1990
×
1990 VEF value
=
2008 VEF value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Venezuelan CPI was 985.4218027 in the year 1990 and 163086.6474 in 2008:
163086.6474985.4218027
×
Bs. 1
=
Bs. 165.50
Bs. 1 in 1990 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as Bs. 165.50 in 2008.
To get the total inflation rate for the 18 years between 1990 and 2008, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2008 - CPI in 1990CPI in 1990
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (18 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
163086.6474 - 985.4218027985.4218027
×
100
=
16,450%
Frequently asked questions
How much is Bs. 1 from 1990 worth in 2008?
Bs. 1 in 1990 has about the same buying power as Bs. 165.50 in 2008, based on the consumer price index published by the International Monetary Fund. Prices in 2008 are 165.50 times as high as they were in 1990.
What was the inflation rate in 1990?
The Venezuelan inflation rate in 1990 was 40.70%, measured as the change in the consumer price index from 1989 to 1990. See inflation in 1990 for more detail.
What has the average inflation rate been from 1990 to 2008?
Prices rose by an average of 32.82% per year between 1990 and 2008, a cumulative increase of 16,449.93%. Because inflation compounds, these yearly changes add up over 18 years.
How is this calculated?
Divide the CPI in 2008 (163,086.647) by the CPI in 1990 (985.422), then multiply by the original amount: 163,086.647 ÷ 985.422 × Bs. 1 = Bs. 165.50. See the step-by-step formula above.
Data source & citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the government of Venezuela's annual (CPI) as provided by the International Monetary Fund.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “Bs. 1 in 1990 → 2008 | Venezuela Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 9 Oct. 2026, https://www.officialdata.org/venezuela/inflation/1990?amount=1&endYear=2008.
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.
| Cumulative price change | 16,449.93% |
| Average inflation rate | 32.82% |
|
Converted amount
Bs. 1 base | Bs. 165.50 |
|
Price difference
Bs. 1 base | Bs. 164.50 |
| CPI in 1990 | 985.422 |
| CPI in 2008 | 163,086.647 |
| Inflation in 1990 | 40.70% |
| Inflation in 2008 | 31.40% |
| Bs. 1 in 1990 | Bs. 165.50 in 2008 |