$100 in 1988 is worth $283.16 in August 2026 dollars. Prices are 183.2% higher than they were in 1988, an average inflation rate of 2.77% a year over roughly 38 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
Inflation in 1988
The average CPI-U in 1988 was 118.300, up from 113.600 in 1987 — an annual inflation rate of 4.1%.
That rate was higher than in 79 of the 112 years from 1914 to 2025, and above the long-run average of 3.16% a year.
Average prices had doubled from their 1988 level by 2014, 26 years later.
Value of $100 from 1988 over time
1988 dollars in today’s dollars
| 1988 dollars | August 2026 dollars |
|---|---|
| $1 | $2.83 |
| $5 | $14.16 |
| $10 | $28.32 |
| $20 | $56.63 |
| $50 | $141.58 |
| $100 | $283.16 |
| $500 | $1,415.81 |
| $1,000 | $2,831.61 |
| $5,000 | $14,158.07 |
| $10,000 | $28,316.15 |
| $50,000 | $141,580.73 |
| $100,000 | $283,161.45 |
Buying power of $100 from 1988, year by year
| Year | Avg CPI-U | Inflation that year | Equivalent of $100 from 1988 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 118.300 | 4.1% | $100.00 |
| 1989 | 124.000 | 4.8% | $104.82 |
| 1990 | 130.700 | 5.4% | $110.48 |
| 1991 | 136.200 | 4.2% | $115.13 |
| 1992 | 140.300 | 3.0% | $118.60 |
| 1993 | 144.500 | 3.0% | $122.15 |
| 1994 | 148.200 | 2.6% | $125.27 |
| 1995 | 152.400 | 2.8% | $128.83 |
| 1996 | 156.900 | 3.0% | $132.63 |
| 1997 | 160.500 | 2.3% | $135.67 |
| 1998 | 163.000 | 1.6% | $137.79 |
| 1999 | 166.600 | 2.2% | $140.83 |
| 2000 | 172.200 | 3.4% | $145.56 |
| 2001 | 177.100 | 2.8% | $149.70 |
| 2002 | 179.900 | 1.6% | $152.07 |
| 2003 | 184.000 | 2.3% | $155.54 |
| 2004 | 188.900 | 2.7% | $159.68 |
| 2005 | 195.300 | 3.4% | $165.09 |
| 2006 | 201.600 | 3.2% | $170.41 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $175.27 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $182.00 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $181.35 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $184.32 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $190.14 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $194.08 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $196.92 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $200.11 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $200.35 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $202.88 |
| 2017 | 245.120 | 2.1% | $207.20 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $212.26 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $216.11 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $218.78 |
| 2021 | 270.970 | 4.7% | $229.05 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $247.38 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $257.57 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $265.16 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $272.14 |
| August 2026 | 334.980 | — | $283.16 |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (latest CPI-U ÷ 1988 average CPI-U). For $100: 100 × (334.980 ÷ 118.300) = $283.16. The average annual rate is the compound rate that turns 1988 prices into today’s over the elapsed time, measured from mid-1988 because an annual average describes the middle of the year. CPI-U tracks a broad basket of urban consumer spending; the prices of specific items such as housing, tuition or food have moved by different amounts.
Reverse: $100.00 today had the same buying power as $35.32 in 1988.
Other years
1978 dollars today · 1983 dollars today · 1986 dollars today · 1987 dollars today · 1989 dollars today · 1990 dollars today · 1993 dollars today · 1998 dollars today · Inflation calculator (any two years)
