$1 million in 1989 is worth $2,701,452 today

$1 million in 1989 has the same buying power as

$2,701,452 in August 2026

That is 170% more, an average inflation rate of 2.71% a year over 37 years.

Put the other way, $1 million today buys what $370,171 bought in 1989. Cash kept under the mattress since 1989 has lost 63% of its value.

$1 million from nearby years

$1 million inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1984$3,224,0624.3%
1985$3,113,1973.6%
1986$3,056,3871.9%
1987$2,948,7683.6%
1988$2,831,6154.1%
1989$2,701,4524.8%
1990$2,562,9695.4%
1991$2,459,4714.2%
1992$2,387,5983.0%
1993$2,318,2013.0%
1994$2,260,3242.6%

How $1 million from 1989 grew

$0.00$500K$1.0M$1.5M$2.0M$2.5M$3.0M199019952000200520102015202020252026.625: $2.7M
$1 million from 1989 in each later year's dollars

$1 million of 1989 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1 million spent on each of these in 1989 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$2,801,103
Rent$3,381,002
Gasoline$4,064,836
Medical care$3,971,889
New cars$1,507,676
College tuition$6,099,679
Electricity$2,703,200
Clothing$1,153,052

Try a different amount or date

$1,000,000 in 1989 has the same buying power as

$2,701,452 in August 2026

Prices rose 170.1% in total, an average of 2.71% a year.

Questions

How much is $1 million in 1989 worth today?
$1 million in 1989 is worth $2,701,452 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1 million in 1989?
You would need $2,701,452 to buy what $1 million bought in 1989. That is 2.70 times as much.
How much buying power has $1 million lost since 1989?
Kept as cash, $1 million from 1989 buys only what $370,171 of 1989 money bought. It has lost 63% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1989?
Prices rose 4.8% in 1989. Since then the average has been 2.71% a year.

Other amounts from 1989

$1 million in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1989