What happened to prices after 1990
1990 began the decade with an oil shock: Iraq invaded Kuwait in August, and inflation finished the year at 6.1%. It faded quickly. The rest of the 1990s averaged 2.9% a year, part of the long, calm stretch economists call the Great Moderation.
How calm? Prices from 1990 didn’t double until 2021, 31 years later. In the 1970s they doubled in ten. The two steepest years since 1990 came only at the end: 2021 at 7.0% and 2022 at 6.5%.
What amounts from 1990 are worth today
| In 1990 | In 2025 | 2025 amount in 1990 |
|---|---|---|
| $1 | $2.42 | $0.41 |
| $5 | $12.11 | $2.06 |
| $10 | $24.22 | $4.13 |
| $20 | $48.45 | $8.26 |
| $50 | $121.11 | $20.64 |
| $100 | $242.23 | $41.28 |
| $500 | $1,211.14 | $206.42 |
| $1,000 | $2,422.27 | $412.84 |
| $5,000 | $12,111.36 | $2,064.18 |
| $10,000 | $24,222.72 | $4,128.36 |
Read across: $1,000 in 1990 buys what $2,422 did in 2025, and $1,000 in 2025 would have bought what $412.84 did in 1990.
Inflation by decade since 1990
| Decade | Average a year | Prices over the decade |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s (1991–1999) | 2.58% | +25.8% |
| 2000s | 2.52% | +28.3% |
| 2010s | 1.76% | +19.0% |
| 2020s (2020–2025) | 3.94% | +26.1% |
Every year since 1990: CPI, inflation and the cost of $100 of 1990 goods
| Year | CPI (Dec.) | Inflation | Cost of $100 of 1990 goods |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 133.8 | — | $100.00 |
| 1991 | 137.9 | +3.1% | $103.06 |
| 1992 | 141.9 | +2.9% | $106.05 |
| 1993 | 145.8 | +2.7% | $108.97 |
| 1994 | 149.7 | +2.7% | $111.88 |
| 1995 | 153.5 | +2.5% | $114.72 |
| 1996 | 158.6 | +3.3% | $118.54 |
| 1997 | 161.3 | +1.7% | $120.55 |
| 1998 | 163.9 | +1.6% | $122.50 |
| 1999 | 168.3 | +2.7% | $125.78 |
| 2000 | 174.0 | +3.4% | $130.04 |
| 2001 | 176.7 | +1.6% | $132.06 |
| 2002 | 180.9 | +2.4% | $135.20 |
| 2003 | 184.3 | +1.9% | $137.74 |
| 2004 | 190.3 | +3.3% | $142.23 |
| 2005 | 196.8 | +3.4% | $147.09 |
| 2006 | 201.8 | +2.5% | $150.82 |
| 2007 | 210.0 | +4.1% | $156.95 |
| 2008 | 210.2 | +0.1% | $157.10 |
| 2009 | 215.9 | +2.7% | $161.36 |
| 2010 | 219.2 | +1.5% | $163.83 |
| 2011 | 225.7 | +3.0% | $168.68 |
| 2012 | 229.6 | +1.7% | $171.60 |
| 2013 | 233.0 | +1.5% | $174.14 |
| 2014 | 234.8 | +0.8% | $175.49 |
| 2015 | 236.5 | +0.7% | $176.76 |
| 2016 | 241.4 | +2.1% | $180.42 |
| 2017 | 246.5 | +2.1% | $184.23 |
| 2018 | 251.2 | +1.9% | $187.74 |
| 2019 | 257.0 | +2.3% | $192.08 |
| 2020 | 260.5 | +1.4% | $194.69 |
| 2021 | 278.8 | +7.0% | $208.37 |
| 2022 | 296.8 | +6.5% | $221.82 |
| 2023 | 306.7 | +3.3% | $229.22 |
| 2024 | 315.6 | +2.9% | $235.87 |
| 2025 | 324.1 | +2.7% | $242.23 |
How this is calculated
We divide the consumer price index for December 2025 (324.1) by the index for December 1990 (133.8), which gives 2.4223, and multiply. Each year’s inflation runs December to December. December figures follow prices to the end of each year, so they can differ slightly from tables that use yearly averages. The index measures an average urban household’s spending; your own costs can rise faster or slower.
For what the stock market did over the same years, see S&P 500 returns since 1990. Every figure here comes from the same data as the inflation calculator. The method is on the methodology page.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items, December values.