Between 1989 and 2014, the Consumer Price Index went from 124 to 236.736.
Cumulatively, prices increased 90.9%, which works out to an average of
2.62% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1989 bought what
$0.52 buys in 2014.
Common amounts: 1989 dollars in 2014
Amount in 1989
Value in 2014
$1.00
$1.91
$5.00
$9.55
$10.00
$19.09
$20.00
$38.18
$50.00
$95.46
$100
$191
$500
$955
$1,000
$1,909
$5,000
$9,546
$10,000
$19,092
$100,000
$190,916
$1,000,000
$1,909,161
Inflation by spending category, 1989–2014
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this
period. Here is what $100 of 1989 spending costs in 2014, by category:
Category
Avg. yearly inflation
$100 in 1989 →
All items (CPI-U)
2.62%
$191
Medical care
4.37%
$292
Energy
3.87%
$258
Food
2.69%
$194
Housing
2.59%
$190
Transportation
2.58%
$189
Core (all items less food & energy)
2.48%
$184
Apparel
0.29%
$108
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1989: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
MLA: “Inflation from 1989 to 2014: $100 is worth $191 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1989-to-2014/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1989 to 2014. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1989-to-2014/