Between 1987 and 2014, the Consumer Price Index went from 113.6 to 236.736.
Cumulatively, prices increased 108.4%, which works out to an average of
2.76% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1987 bought what
$0.48 buys in 2014.
Common amounts: 1987 dollars in 2014
Amount in 1987
Value in 2014
$1.00
$2.08
$5.00
$10.42
$10.00
$20.84
$20.00
$41.68
$50.00
$104
$100
$208
$500
$1,042
$1,000
$2,084
$5,000
$10,420
$10,000
$20,839
$100,000
$208,394
$1,000,000
$2,083,944
Inflation by spending category, 1987–2014
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this
period. Here is what $100 of 1987 spending costs in 2014, by category:
Category
Avg. yearly inflation
$100 in 1987 →
All items (CPI-U)
2.76%
$208
Medical care
4.57%
$335
Energy
3.82%
$275
Food
2.86%
$214
Transportation
2.69%
$205
Housing
2.68%
$204
Core (all items less food & energy)
2.62%
$201
Apparel
0.53%
$115
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1987: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
MLA: “Inflation from 1987 to 2014: $100 is worth $208 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1987-to-2014/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1987 to 2014. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1987-to-2014/