$100 in 1988 has the same buying power as about $280.85 in 2026. Prices rose 180.8% over 38 years, an average of 2.75% per year, and the dollar lost about 64% of its 1988 purchasing power.
Ledger
$100 of 1988- Cumulative inflation
- 180.8%
- Average per year
- 2.75%
- Inflation rate in 1988
- 4.1%
- CPI-U 1988 → 2026
- 118.3 → 332.2
- Multiplier
- ×2.808
On the time scale
1988 to 2026CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100). Calculate a different amount or end year.
1988 in context: Disinflation
After the Volcker squeeze, inflation ran at about 3–5% for the rest of the 1980s, apart from a dip to 1.9% in 1986 when oil prices collapsed. Higher oil prices around the 1990–91 Gulf War lifted it to 5.4% in 1990, the last time it topped 5% for three decades. Through the 1990s it drifted down to around 2%, helped by strong productivity growth, cheaper imports, and a Federal Reserve that treated low inflation as its main job.
- Inflation in 1988 was 4.1%, the 33rd highest annual rate of the 112 full years from 1914 to 2025.
- From 1983 to 1999, inflation averaged 3.26% a year, from a high of 5.4% in 1990 to a low of 1.6% in 1998.
- Prices first reached double their 1988 level in 2014, 26 years later.
Read more: The history of US inflation
1988 dollars in 2026 dollars
| AMOUNT IN 1988 | VALUE IN 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $2.81 |
| $5 | $14.04 |
| $10 | $28.08 |
| $20 | $56.17 |
| $50 | $140.42 |
| $100 | $280.85 |
| $500 | $1,404 |
| $1,000 | $2,808 |
| $10,000 | $28,085 |
| $100,000 | $280,848 |
Value of $100 from 1988, year by year
What $100 from 1988 was worth in each later year, with that year's inflation rate.
| YEAR | $100 IN 1988 EQUALS | INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | $100 | 4.1% |
| 1989 | $104.82 | 4.8% |
| 1990 | $110.48 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | $115.13 | 4.2% |
| 1992 | $118.60 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $122.15 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $125.27 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $128.83 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $132.63 | 3.0% |
| 1997 | $135.67 | 2.3% |
| 1998 | $137.79 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $140.83 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $145.56 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $149.70 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $152.07 | 1.6% |
| 2003 | $155.54 | 2.3% |
| 2004 | $159.68 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | $165.09 | 3.4% |
| 2006 | $170.41 | 3.2% |
| 2007 | $175.27 | 2.8% |
| 2008 | $182.00 | 3.8% |
| 2009 | $181.35 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | $184.32 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | $190.14 | 3.2% |
| 2012 | $194.08 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | $196.92 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | $200.11 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | $200.35 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | $202.88 | 1.3% |
| 2017 | $207.20 | 2.1% |
| 2018 | $212.26 | 2.4% |
| 2019 | $216.11 | 1.8% |
| 2020 | $218.78 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | $229.05 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | $247.38 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | $257.57 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | $265.16 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | $272.14 | 2.6% |
| 2026 | $280.85 | 3.2% |
Questions about 1988 dollars
What is $100 in 1988 worth today?
$100 in 1988 is worth about $280.85 in 2026. The US dollar lost roughly 64% of its 1988 purchasing power, so it takes 2.81 2026 dollars to buy what one dollar bought in 1988. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (2026: January–September average); CPI 118.3 in 1988 and 332.2 in 2026.
How much has inflation been since 1988?
Cumulative US inflation from 1988 to 2026 is about 180.8%, an average of 2.75% per year over 38 years.
What is $1,000 in 1988 worth in 2026?
$1,000 in 1988 has the same buying power as about $2,808 in 2026.
What was the inflation rate in 1988?
The US inflation rate in 1988 was 4.1%, measured as the change in the annual average CPI-U from 1987 (113.6) to 1988 (118.3).
Method: value = amount × (CPI2026 ÷ CPI1988). Figures are national averages for educational use and are not financial advice. The era summary is written with AI assistance; every figure on this page is computed from BLS data. See Understanding the CPI and the history of US inflation.