$100 in 1937 is worth $3,232 in 2004

Value of $100 from 1937 to 2004

$100 in 1937 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,232 in 2004, an increase of $3,132.00 over 67 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 5.32% per year between 1937 and 2004, producing a cumulative price increase of 3,132.00%.

This means that prices in 2004 are 32.32 times as high as average prices since 1937, according to the Bureau of Statistics consumer price index.

The inflation rate in 1937 was 4.17%. The inflation rate in 2004 was 2.28%. The 2004 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 2.61% per year between 2004 and 2024.


Inflation from 1937 to 2004
Cumulative price change3,132.00%
Average inflation rate5.32%
Converted amount
$100 base
$3,232
Price difference
$100 base
$3,132.00
CPI in 19372.500
CPI in 200480.800
Inflation in 19374.17%
Inflation in 20042.28%
$100 in 1937$3,232 in 2004

AUD inflation since 1937
Annual Rate, the Bureau of Statistics CPI
Download

Buying power of $100 in 1937

This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1937 (price index tracking began in 1922).

For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $3,232 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").

When $100 is equivalent to $3,232 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 1937 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 67 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: 1937-2004
YearDollar ValueInflation Rate
1937$100.004.17%
1938$104.004.00%
1939$104.000.00%
1940$108.003.85%
1941$112.003.70%
1942$124.0010.71%
1943$128.003.23%
1944$128.000.00%
1945$128.000.00%
1946$128.000.00%
1947$136.006.25%
1948$148.008.82%
1949$160.008.11%
1950$176.0010.00%
1951$208.0018.18%
1952$244.0017.31%
1953$256.004.92%
1954$260.001.56%
1955$264.001.54%
1956$280.006.06%
1957$288.002.86%
1958$288.000.00%
1959$296.002.78%
1960$308.004.05%
1961$312.001.30%
1962$312.000.00%
1963$316.001.28%
1964$324.002.53%
1965$336.003.70%
1966$344.002.38%
1967$356.003.49%
1968$368.003.37%
1969$380.003.26%
1970$392.003.16%
1971$416.006.12%
1972$440.005.77%
1973$480.009.09%
1974$556.0015.83%
1975$640.0015.11%
1976$724.0013.13%
1977$812.0012.15%
1978$876.007.88%
1979$956.009.13%
1980$1,056.0010.46%
1981$1,156.009.47%
1982$1,284.0011.07%
1983$1,416.0010.28%
1984$1,472.003.95%
1985$1,568.006.52%
1986$1,712.009.18%
1987$1,856.008.41%
1988$1,992.007.33%
1989$2,140.007.43%
1990$2,300.007.48%
1991$2,372.003.13%
1992$2,396.001.01%
1993$2,436.001.67%
1994$2,484.001.97%
1995$2,600.004.67%
1996$2,668.002.62%
1997$2,676.000.30%
1998$2,696.000.75%
1999$2,736.001.48%
2000$2,860.004.53%
2001$2,984.004.34%
2002$3,076.003.08%
2003$3,160.002.73%
2004$3,232.002.28%
2005$3,320.002.72%
2006$3,436.003.49%
2007$3,516.002.33%
2008$3,672.004.44%
2009$3,736.001.74%
2010$3,844.002.89%
2011$3,972.003.33%
2012$4,040.001.71%
2013$4,140.002.48%
2014$4,244.002.51%
2015$4,308.001.51%
2016$4,364.001.30%
2017$4,448.001.92%
2018$4,532.001.89%
2019$4,604.001.59%
2020$4,644.000.87%
2021$4,776.002.84%
2022$5,092.006.62%
2023$5,356.005.18%
2024$5,412.001.05%*
* Compared to previous annual rate. Not final. See inflation summary for latest 12-month trailing value.
Click to show 61 more rows

This conversion table shows various other 1937 amounts in 2004 dollars, based on the 3,132.00% change in prices:

Conversion: 1937 dollars in 2004
Initial valueEquivalent value
$1 dollar in 1937$32.32 dollars in 2004
$5 dollars in 1937$161.60 dollars in 2004
$10 dollars in 1937$323.20 dollars in 2004
$50 dollars in 1937$1,616.00 dollars in 2004
$100 dollars in 1937$3,232.00 dollars in 2004
$500 dollars in 1937$16,160.00 dollars in 2004
$1,000 dollars in 1937$32,320.00 dollars in 2004
$5,000 dollars in 1937$161,600.00 dollars in 2004
$10,000 dollars in 1937$323,200.00 dollars in 2004
$50,000 dollars in 1937$1,616,000.00 dollars in 2004
$100,000 dollars in 1937$3,232,000.00 dollars in 2004
$500,000 dollars in 1937$16,160,000.00 dollars in 2004
$1,000,000 dollars in 1937$32,320,000.00 dollars in 2004

How to calculate inflation rate for $100, 1937 to 2004

Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1937 and 2004:

CPI in 2004 CPI in 1937
×
1937 AUD value
=
2004 AUD value

Then plug in historical CPI values. The Australian CPI was 2.5 in the year 1937 and 80.8 in 2004:

80.82.5
×
$100
=
$3,232

$100 in 1937 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $3,232 in 2004.

To get the total inflation rate for the 67 years between 1937 and 2004, we use the following formula:

CPI in 2004 - CPI in 1937CPI in 1937
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (67 years)

Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:

80.8 - 2.52.5
×
100
=
3,132%

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: “1937 dollars in 2004 | Australia Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 28 Mar. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/1937-AUD-in-2004.

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 1937 to 2004
Cumulative price change3,132.00%
Average inflation rate5.32%
Converted amount
$100 base
$3,232
Price difference
$100 base
$3,132.00
CPI in 19372.500
CPI in 200480.800
Inflation in 19374.17%
Inflation in 20042.28%
$100 in 1937$3,232 in 2004