InflationCalculator.com

U.S. inflation · 1990–1997

Value of $100 in 1990, adjusted to 1997

$100 in 1990 has the same buying power as

$123

in 1997

$100$111$12319901997$100 · 1990$123 · 1997
Detailed inflation statistics
Cumulative price change22.8%
Average inflation rate2.98% per year
Converted amount ($100 base)$123
Price difference ($100 base)$22.80
CPI in 1990130.7
CPI in 1997160.5
Inflation in 19905.40%
Inflation in 19972.29%
$100 in 1990 → 1997$123
$100 in 1997 → 1990$81.43

What happened to prices between 1990 and 1997

Between 1990 and 1997, the Consumer Price Index went from 130.7 to 160.5. Cumulatively, prices increased 22.8%, which works out to an average of 2.98% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1990 bought what $0.81 buys in 1997.

In 1990, the median U.S. household earned about $29,900, gas averaged $1.15 a gallon, and mailing a letter cost a quarter. Inflation ran hot at 5.4% for the year, its highest rate since 1982, pushed up by an oil shock after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, and the economy tipped into recession that summer. It was the last gasp of elevated inflation before the long calm of the 1990s.

More about inflation in 1990 →

Common amounts: 1990 dollars in 1997

Amount in 1990Value in 1997
$1.00$1.23
$5.00$6.14
$10.00$12.28
$20.00$24.56
$50.00$61.40
$100$123
$500$614
$1,000$1,228
$5,000$6,140
$10,000$12,280
$100,000$122,800
$1,000,000$1,228,003

Inflation by spending category, 1990–1997

The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1990 spending costs in 1997, by category:

Category Avg. yearly inflation $100 in 1990 →
All items (CPI-U) 2.98% $123
Medical care 5.36% $144
Core (all items less food & energy) 3.25% $125
Housing 2.88% $122
Transportation 2.61% $120
Food 2.49% $119
Energy 1.27% $109
Apparel 0.98% $107

Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1990: recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).

Year by year: CPI and the value of $100 from 1990

Year CPI Inflation rate $100 from 1990
1990 130.7 5.4% $100
1991 136.2 4.2% $104
1992 140.3 3.0% $107
1993 144.5 3.0% $111
1994 148.2 2.6% $113
1995 152.4 2.8% $117
1996 156.9 3.0% $120
1997 160.5 2.3% $123

Cite this page

MLA: “Inflation from 1990 to 1997: $100 is worth $123 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1990-to-1997/

APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1990 to 1997. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1990-to-1997/

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.