U.S. inflation · 1979–1987
$100 in 1979 has the same buying power as
$156
in 1987
| Cumulative price change | 56.5% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 5.76% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $156 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $56.47 |
| CPI in 1979 | 72.6 |
| CPI in 1987 | 113.6 |
| Inflation in 1979 | 11.35% |
| Inflation in 1987 | 3.65% |
| $100 in 1979 → 1987 | $156 |
| $100 in 1987 → 1979 | $63.91 |
Between 1979 and 1987, the Consumer Price Index went from 72.6 to 113.6. Cumulatively, prices increased 56.5%, which works out to an average of 5.76% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1979 bought what $0.64 buys in 1987.
| Amount in 1979 | Value in 1987 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.56 |
| $5.00 | $7.82 |
| $10.00 | $15.65 |
| $20.00 | $31.29 |
| $50.00 | $78.24 |
| $100 | $156 |
| $500 | $782 |
| $1,000 | $1,565 |
| $5,000 | $7,824 |
| $10,000 | $15,647 |
| $100,000 | $156,474 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,564,738 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1979 spending costs in 1987, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1979 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 5.76% | $156 |
| Medical care | 8.55% | $193 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.41% | $164 |
| Housing | 6.29% | $163 |
| Transportation | 5.16% | $150 |
| Food | 4.49% | $142 |
| Energy | 3.81% | $135 |
| Apparel | 3.36% | $130 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1979: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $100 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $113 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $125 |
| 1982 | 96.5 | 6.2% | $133 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $137 |
| 1984 | 103.9 | 4.3% | $143 |
| 1985 | 107.6 | 3.6% | $148 |
| 1986 | 109.6 | 1.9% | $151 |
| 1987 | 113.6 | 3.6% | $156 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1979 to 1987: $100 is worth $156 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1979-to-1987/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1979 to 1987. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1979-to-1987/
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (series CUUR0000SA0; category indexes listed on the data sources page). See how these numbers are calculated.