Value of $1 from 1920 to 1917
$1 in 1920 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $0.69 in 1917, an increase of $-0.31 over 3 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 12.95% per year between 1917 and 1920, producing a cumulative price increase of -30.59%.
This means that prices in 1917 are 30.59% lower than average prices since 1920, according to Statistics Canada consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1917 was 17.96%. The inflation rate in 1920 was 16.30%. The 1920 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 2.57% per year between 1920 and 2024.
⌃
| Cumulative price change | -30.59% |
| Average inflation rate | 12.95% |
| Converted amount $1 base | $0.69 |
| Price difference $1 base | $-0.31 |
| CPI in 1920 | 11.358 |
| CPI in 1917 | 7.883 |
| Inflation in 1917 | 17.96% |
| Inflation in 1920 | 16.30% |
| $1 in 1920 | $0.69 in 1917 |
Buying power of $1 in 1917
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $1 in 1917 (price index tracking began in 1914).
For example, if you started with $1, you would need to end with $0.69 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $1 is equivalent to $0.69 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single Canadian dollar decreases over time. In other words, a dollar will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a dollar over time. By calculating the value in 1917 dollars, the chart below shows how $1 is worth less over 3 years.
According to Statistics Canada, each of these CAD amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1917 amounts in 1920 dollars, based on the -30.59% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1917 | $1.44 dollars in 1920 |
| $5 dollars in 1917 | $7.20 dollars in 1920 |
| $10 dollars in 1917 | $14.41 dollars in 1920 |
| $50 dollars in 1917 | $72.04 dollars in 1920 |
| $100 dollars in 1917 | $144.08 dollars in 1920 |
| $500 dollars in 1917 | $720.40 dollars in 1920 |
| $1,000 dollars in 1917 | $1,440.80 dollars in 1920 |
| $5,000 dollars in 1917 | $7,204.02 dollars in 1920 |
| $10,000 dollars in 1917 | $14,408.03 dollars in 1920 |
| $50,000 dollars in 1917 | $72,040.17 dollars in 1920 |
| $100,000 dollars in 1917 | $144,080.34 dollars in 1920 |
| $500,000 dollars in 1917 | $720,401.69 dollars in 1920 |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1917 | $1,440,803.38 dollars in 1920 |
How to calculate inflation rate for $1, 1917 to 1920
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1917 and 1920:
CPI in 1917 CPI in 1920
×
1920 CAD value
=
1917 CAD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Canadian CPI was 11.35833333 in the year 1920 and 7.883333333 in 1917:
7.88333333311.35833333
×
$1
=
$0.69
$1 in 1920 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $0.69 in 1917.
To get the total inflation rate for the 3 years between 1917 and 1920, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1917 - CPI in 1920CPI in 1920
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (3 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
7.883333333 - 11.3583333311.35833333
×
100
=
-31%
Data source & citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the government of Canada's annual Consumer Price Index (CPI), established in 1914 and computed by Statistics Canada (StatCan).
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “$1 in 1920 → 1917 | Canada Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 16 Apr. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/1920-CAD-in-1917?amount=1.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.
| Cumulative price change | -30.59% |
| Average inflation rate | 12.95% |
| Converted amount $1 base | $0.69 |
| Price difference $1 base | $-0.31 |
| CPI in 1920 | 11.358 |
| CPI in 1917 | 7.883 |
| Inflation in 1917 | 17.96% |
| Inflation in 1920 | 16.30% |
| $1 in 1920 | $0.69 in 1917 |