Value of $100 from 1939 to 2003
According to the Bureau of Statistics consumer price index, prices in 2003 are 2,938.46% higher than average prices since 1939. The Australian dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 5.48% per year during this period, causing the real value of a dollar to decrease.
In other words, $100 in 1939 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,038.46 in 2003, a difference of $2,938.46 over 64 years.
The 1939 inflation rate was 0.00%. The inflation rate in 2003 was 2.73%. The 2003 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 2.33% per year between 2003 and 2020.
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 2,938.46% |
| Average inflation rate | 5.48% |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $3,038.46 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $2,938.46 |
| CPI in 1939 | 2.600 |
| CPI in 2003 | 79.000 |
| Inflation in 1939 | 0.00% |
| Inflation in 2003 | 2.73% |
Buying power of $100 in 1939
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1939 (price index tracking began in 1922).
For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $3,038.46 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $100 is equivalent to $3,038.46 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 1939 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 64 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:
This conversion table shows various other 1939 amounts in 2003 dollars, based on the 2,938.46% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1939 | $30.38 dollars in 2003 |
| $5 dollars in 1939 | $151.92 dollars in 2003 |
| $10 dollars in 1939 | $303.85 dollars in 2003 |
| $50 dollars in 1939 | $1,519.23 dollars in 2003 |
| $100 dollars in 1939 | $3,038.46 dollars in 2003 |
| $500 dollars in 1939 | $15,192.31 dollars in 2003 |
| $1,000 dollars in 1939 | $30,384.62 dollars in 2003 |
| $5,000 dollars in 1939 | $151,923.08 dollars in 2003 |
| $10,000 dollars in 1939 | $303,846.15 dollars in 2003 |
| $50,000 dollars in 1939 | $1,519,230.77 dollars in 2003 |
| $100,000 dollars in 1939 | $3,038,461.54 dollars in 2003 |
| $500,000 dollars in 1939 | $15,192,307.69 dollars in 2003 |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1939 | $30,384,615.38 dollars in 2003 |
How to Calculate Inflation Rate for $100, 1939 to 2003
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1939 and 2003:
CPI in 2003
CPI in 1939
×
1939 AUD value
=
2003 AUD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Australian CPI was 2.6 in the year 1939 and 79 in 2003:
792.6
×
$100
=
$3,038.46
$100 in 1939 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $3,038.46 in 2003.
To get the total inflation rate for the 64 years between 1939 and 2003, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2003 - CPI in 1939CPI in 1939
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (64 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
79 - 2.62.6
×
100
=
2,938%
News headlines from 1939
Politics and news often influence economic performance. Here's what was happening at the time:
- Hitler makes a speech to the German Reichstag where he threatens Jews.
- Mahatma Gandhi begins his fast in protest against Britain’s autocratic rule in India
- The Battle of Nanchang takes place between the Kuomintang ant the Japanese, during Sino-Japanese War.
- The Spanish Civil War ends when Madrid falls to Francisco Franco.
- Britain and France declare war on Germany after it invades Poland, signaling the start of World War II.
- Mussolini’s Italy joins Hitler's war against Great Britain and France.
- Winston Churchill is named British Prime Minister, succeeding Neville Chamberlain.
- Nazi blitzkrieg conquest of France begins when the Germans cross the Muese River.
- Auschwitz concentration camp is opened in Nazi-controlled Poland.
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: “1939 dollars in 2003 | Australia Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 9 Jul. 2020, https://www.officialdata.org/1939-AUD-in-2003.
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 | 2,938.46% |
| Average inflation rate | 5.48% |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $3,038.46 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $2,938.46 |
| CPI in 1939 | 2.600 |
| CPI in 2003 | 79.000 |
| Inflation in 1939 | 0.00% |
| Inflation in 2003 | 2.73% |