$100 in 1949 is worth $1,160 in 1987

Value of $100 from 1949 to 1987

$100 in 1949 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1,160 in 1987, an increase of $1,060.00 over 38 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 6.66% per year between 1949 and 1987, producing a cumulative price increase of 1,060.00%.

This means that prices in 1987 are 11.60 times as high as average prices since 1949, according to the Bureau of Statistics consumer price index.

The inflation rate in 1949 was 8.11%. The inflation rate in 1987 was 8.41%. The 1987 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 2.93% per year between 1987 and 2024.


Inflation from 1949 to 1987
Cumulative price change1,060.00%
Average inflation rate6.66%
Converted amount
$100 base
$1,160
Price difference
$100 base
$1,060.00
CPI in 19494.000
CPI in 198746.400
Inflation in 19498.11%
Inflation in 19878.41%
$100 in 1949$1,160 in 1987

AUD inflation since 1949
Annual Rate, the Bureau of Statistics CPI
Download

Buying power of $100 in 1949

This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1949 (price index tracking began in 1922).

For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $1,160 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").

When $100 is equivalent to $1,160 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single Australian 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 1949 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 38 years.

According to the Bureau of Statistics, each of these AUD amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Dollar inflation: 1949-1987
YearDollar ValueInflation Rate
1949$100.008.11%
1950$110.0010.00%
1951$130.0018.18%
1952$152.5017.31%
1953$160.004.92%
1954$162.501.56%
1955$165.001.54%
1956$175.006.06%
1957$180.002.86%
1958$180.000.00%
1959$185.002.78%
1960$192.504.05%
1961$195.001.30%
1962$195.000.00%
1963$197.501.28%
1964$202.502.53%
1965$210.003.70%
1966$215.002.38%
1967$222.503.49%
1968$230.003.37%
1969$237.503.26%
1970$245.003.16%
1971$260.006.12%
1972$275.005.77%
1973$300.009.09%
1974$347.5015.83%
1975$400.0015.11%
1976$452.5013.13%
1977$507.5012.15%
1978$547.507.88%
1979$597.509.13%
1980$660.0010.46%
1981$722.509.47%
1982$802.5011.07%
1983$885.0010.28%
1984$920.003.95%
1985$980.006.52%
1986$1,070.009.18%
1987$1,160.008.41%
1988$1,245.007.33%
1989$1,337.507.43%
1990$1,437.507.48%
1991$1,482.503.13%
1992$1,497.501.01%
1993$1,522.501.67%
1994$1,552.501.97%
1995$1,625.004.67%
1996$1,667.502.62%
1997$1,672.500.30%
1998$1,685.000.75%
1999$1,710.001.48%
2000$1,787.504.53%
2001$1,865.004.34%
2002$1,922.503.08%
2003$1,975.002.73%
2004$2,020.002.28%
2005$2,075.002.72%
2006$2,147.503.49%
2007$2,197.502.33%
2008$2,295.004.44%
2009$2,335.001.74%
2010$2,402.502.89%
2011$2,482.503.33%
2012$2,525.001.71%
2013$2,587.502.48%
2014$2,652.502.51%
2015$2,692.501.51%
2016$2,727.501.30%
2017$2,780.001.92%
2018$2,832.501.89%
2019$2,877.501.59%
2020$2,902.500.87%
2021$2,985.002.84%
2022$3,182.506.62%
2023$3,347.505.18%
2024$3,382.501.05%*
* Compared to previous annual rate. Not final. See inflation summary for latest 12-month trailing value.
Click to show 32 more rows

This conversion table shows various other 1949 amounts in 1987 dollars, based on the 1,060.00% change in prices:

Conversion: 1949 dollars in 1987
Initial valueEquivalent value
$1 dollar in 1949$11.60 dollars in 1987
$5 dollars in 1949$58.00 dollars in 1987
$10 dollars in 1949$116.00 dollars in 1987
$50 dollars in 1949$580.00 dollars in 1987
$100 dollars in 1949$1,160.00 dollars in 1987
$500 dollars in 1949$5,800.00 dollars in 1987
$1,000 dollars in 1949$11,600.00 dollars in 1987
$5,000 dollars in 1949$58,000.00 dollars in 1987
$10,000 dollars in 1949$116,000.00 dollars in 1987
$50,000 dollars in 1949$580,000.00 dollars in 1987
$100,000 dollars in 1949$1,160,000.00 dollars in 1987
$500,000 dollars in 1949$5,800,000.00 dollars in 1987
$1,000,000 dollars in 1949$11,600,000.00 dollars in 1987

How to calculate inflation rate for $100, 1949 to 1987

Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1949 and 1987:

CPI in 1987 CPI in 1949
×
1949 AUD value
=
1987 AUD value

Then plug in historical CPI values. The Australian CPI was 4 in the year 1949 and 46.4 in 1987:

46.44
×
$100
=
$1,160

$100 in 1949 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1,160 in 1987.

To get the total inflation rate for the 38 years between 1949 and 1987, we use the following formula:

CPI in 1987 - CPI in 1949CPI in 1949
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (38 years)

Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:

46.4 - 44
×
100
=
1,060%

Data source & citation

Raw data for these calculations comes from the government of Australia's annual (CPI) as provided by the Reserve Bank of Australia. The consumer price index was established in 1922 and is tracked by Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “1949 dollars in 1987 | Australia Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 26 Mar. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/1949-AUD-in-1987.

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.


Ian Webster

About the author

Ian Webster is an engineer and data expert based in San Mateo, California. He has worked for Google, NASA, and consulted for governments around the world on data pipelines and data analysis. Disappointed by the lack of clear resources on the impacts of inflation on economic indicators, Ian believes this website serves as a valuable public tool. Ian earned his degree in Computer Science from Dartmouth College.

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Inflation from 1949 to 1987
Cumulative price change1,060.00%
Average inflation rate6.66%
Converted amount
$100 base
$1,160
Price difference
$100 base
$1,060.00
CPI in 19494.000
CPI in 198746.400
Inflation in 19498.11%
Inflation in 19878.41%
$100 in 1949$1,160 in 1987