Value of $100 from 1918 to 2008
According to Statistics Canada consumer price index, prices in 2008 are 1,105.32% higher than average prices since 1918. The Canadian dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 2.80% per year during this period, causing the real value of a dollar to decrease.
In other words, $100 in 1918 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1,205.32 in 2008, a difference of $1,105.32 over 90 years.
The 1918 inflation rate was 13.25%. The inflation rate in 2008 was 1.16%. The 2008 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 1.56% per year between 2008 and 2020.
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 1,105.32% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.80% |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,205.32 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $1,105.32 |
| CPI in 1918 | 9.400 |
| CPI in 2008 | 113.300 |
| Inflation in 1918 | 13.25% |
| Inflation in 2008 | 1.16% |
Buying power of $100 in 1918
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1918 (price index tracking began in 1914).
For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $1,205.32 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $100 is equivalent to $1,205.32 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 1918 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 90 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 1918 amounts in 2008 dollars, based on the 1,105.32% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1918 | $12.05 dollars in 2008 |
| $5 dollars in 1918 | $60.27 dollars in 2008 |
| $10 dollars in 1918 | $120.53 dollars in 2008 |
| $50 dollars in 1918 | $602.66 dollars in 2008 |
| $100 dollars in 1918 | $1,205.32 dollars in 2008 |
| $500 dollars in 1918 | $6,026.60 dollars in 2008 |
| $1,000 dollars in 1918 | $12,053.19 dollars in 2008 |
| $5,000 dollars in 1918 | $60,265.96 dollars in 2008 |
| $10,000 dollars in 1918 | $120,531.91 dollars in 2008 |
| $50,000 dollars in 1918 | $602,659.57 dollars in 2008 |
| $100,000 dollars in 1918 | $1,205,319.15 dollars in 2008 |
| $500,000 dollars in 1918 | $6,026,595.74 dollars in 2008 |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1918 | $12,053,191.49 dollars in 2008 |
How to Calculate Inflation Rate for $100, 1918 to 2008
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1918 and 2008:
CPI in 2008
CPI in 1918
×
1918 CAD value
=
2008 CAD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Canadian CPI was 9.4 in the year 1918 and 113.3 in 2008:
113.39.4
×
$100
=
$1,205.32
$100 in 1918 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1,205.32 in 2008.
To get the total inflation rate for the 90 years between 1918 and 2008, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2008 - CPI in 1918CPI in 1918
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (90 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
113.3 - 9.49.4
×
100
=
1,105%
News headlines from 1918
Politics and news often influence economic performance. Here's what was happening at the time:
- First recorded case of Spanish flu in Kansas, marking the beginning of a worldwide pandemic killing millions.
- The Bolshevik Party changes its name to the Communist Party.
- Moscow is declared the capital of Russia.
- Tsar Nicholas II of Russia is executed along with his family by a Bolshevik squad in Ekaterinburg.
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: “1918 dollars in 2008 | Canada Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 10 Aug. 2020, https://www.officialdata.org/1918-CAD-in-2008.
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 | 1,105.32% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.80% |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $1,205.32 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $1,105.32 |
| CPI in 1918 | 9.400 |
| CPI in 2008 | 113.300 |
| Inflation in 1918 | 13.25% |
| Inflation in 2008 | 1.16% |