InflationCalculator.com

U.S. inflation · 1990–2012

Value of $100 in 1990, adjusted to 2012

$100 in 1990 has the same buying power as

$176

in 2012

$100$138$17619901996200120072012$100 · 1990$176 · 2012
Detailed inflation statistics
Cumulative price change75.7%
Average inflation rate2.59% per year
Converted amount ($100 base)$176
Price difference ($100 base)$75.66
CPI in 1990130.7
CPI in 2012229.594
Inflation in 19905.40%
Inflation in 20122.07%
$100 in 1990 → 2012$176
$100 in 2012 → 1990$56.93

What happened to prices between 1990 and 2012

Between 1990 and 2012, the Consumer Price Index went from 130.7 to 229.594. Cumulatively, prices increased 75.7%, which works out to an average of 2.59% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1990 bought what $0.57 buys in 2012.

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 2012

Amount in 1990Value in 2012
$1.00$1.76
$5.00$8.78
$10.00$17.57
$20.00$35.13
$50.00$87.83
$100$176
$500$878
$1,000$1,757
$5,000$8,783
$10,000$17,566
$100,000$175,665
$1,000,000$1,756,649

Inflation by spending category, 1990–2012

The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1990 spending costs in 2012, by category:

Category Avg. yearly inflation $100 in 1990 →
All items (CPI-U) 2.59% $176
Medical care 4.34% $255
Energy 4.08% $241
Transportation 2.72% $180
Food 2.62% $177
Housing 2.53% $173
Core (all items less food & energy) 2.43% $170
Apparel 0.08% $102

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
1998 163 1.6% $125
1999 166.6 2.2% $127
2000 172.2 3.4% $132
2001 177.1 2.8% $136
2002 179.9 1.6% $138
2003 184 2.3% $141
2004 188.9 2.7% $145
2005 195.3 3.4% $149
2006 201.6 3.2% $154
2007 207.342 2.8% $159
2008 215.303 3.8% $165
2009 214.537 -0.4% $164
2010 218.056 1.6% $167
2011 224.939 3.2% $172
2012 229.594 2.1% $176

Cite this page

MLA: “Inflation from 1990 to 2012: $100 is worth $176 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1990-to-2012/

APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1990 to 2012. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1990-to-2012/

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.