$5 in 1987 is worth $14.74 today

$5 in 1987 has the same buying power as

$14.74 in August 2026

That is 195% more, an average inflation rate of 2.80% a year over 39 years.

Put the other way, $5 today buys what $1.70 bought in 1987. Cash kept under the mattress since 1987 has lost 66% of its value.

$5 from nearby years

$5 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1982$17.366.2%
1983$16.823.2%
1984$16.124.3%
1985$15.573.6%
1986$15.281.9%
1987$14.743.6%
1988$14.164.1%
1989$13.514.8%
1990$12.815.4%
1991$12.304.2%
1992$11.943.0%

How $5 from 1987 grew

$0.00$2.00$4.00$6.00$8.00$10$12$14$16199019952000200520102015202020252026.625: $15
$5 from 1987 in each later year's dollars

$5 of 1987 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5 spent on each of these in 1987 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$15.44
Rent$18.24
Gasoline$22.46
Medical care$22.79
New cars$7.85
College tuition$35.42
Electricity$14.09
Clothing$6.18

Try a different amount or date

$5.00 in 1987 has the same buying power as

$14.74 in August 2026

Prices rose 194.9% in total, an average of 2.80% a year.

Questions

How much is $5 in 1987 worth today?
$5 in 1987 is worth $14.74 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5 in 1987?
You would need $14.74 to buy what $5 bought in 1987. That is 2.95 times as much.
How much buying power has $5 lost since 1987?
Kept as cash, $5 from 1987 buys only what $1.70 of 1987 money bought. It has lost 66% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1987?
Prices rose 3.6% in 1987. Since then the average has been 2.80% a year.

Other amounts from 1987

$5 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1987