$1 million in 1987 is worth $2,948,768 today

$1 million in 1987 has the same buying power as

$2,948,768 in August 2026

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

Put the other way, $1 million today buys what $339,125 bought in 1987. Cash kept under the mattress since 1987 has lost 66% of its value.

$1 million from nearby years

$1 million inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1982$3,471,2956.2%
1983$3,363,2533.2%
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%

How $1 million from 1987 grew

$0.00$500K$1.0M$1.5M$2.0M$2.5M$3.0M199019952000200520102015202020252026.625: $2.9M
$1 million from 1987 in each later year's dollars

$1 million of 1987 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1 million spent on each of these in 1987 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$3,087,383
Rent$3,647,417
Gasoline$4,491,111
Medical care$4,558,055
New cars$1,570,935
College tuition$7,084,204
Electricity$2,818,700
Clothing$1,236,456

Try a different amount or date

$1,000,000 in 1987 has the same buying power as

$2,948,768 in August 2026

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

Questions

How much is $1 million in 1987 worth today?
$1 million in 1987 is worth $2,948,768 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1 million in 1987?
You would need $2,948,768 to buy what $1 million bought in 1987. That is 2.95 times as much.
How much buying power has $1 million lost since 1987?
Kept as cash, $1 million from 1987 buys only what $339,125 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

$1 million in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1987