The Australian dollar has lost 97% of its value since 1949
Updated: October 14, 2026$100 in 1949 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,590 today, an increase of $3,490.00 over 77 years. Cumulative inflation since 1949 is 3,490.00%: the dollar had an average inflation rate of 4.76% per year between 1949 and today.
This means that today's prices are 35.90 times as high as average prices in 1949, according to the Bureau of Statistics consumer price index. A dollar today only buys 2.8% of what it could buy back then.
The inflation rate in 1949 was 8.11%. The current inflation rate compared to the end of last year is now 1.13%. If this number holds, $100 today will be equivalent in buying power to $101.13 next year.
Contents
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 3,490.00% |
| Average inflation rate | 4.76% |
|
Converted amount
$100 base | $3,590 |
|
Price difference
$100 base | $3,490.00 |
| CPI in 1949 | 4.000 |
| CPI in 2026 | 143.600 |
| Inflation in 1949 | 8.11% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 1.13% |
| $100 in 1949 | $3,590 in 2026 |
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 $3,590 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $100 is equivalent to $3,590 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 77 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 1949 amounts in today's dollars, based on the 3,490.00% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1949 | $35.90 dollars today |
| $5 dollars in 1949 | $179.50 dollars today |
| $10 dollars in 1949 | $359.00 dollars today |
| $50 dollars in 1949 | $1,795.00 dollars today |
| $100 dollars in 1949 | $3,590.00 dollars today |
| $500 dollars in 1949 | $17,950.00 dollars today |
| $1,000 dollars in 1949 | $35,900.00 dollars today |
| $5,000 dollars in 1949 | $179,500.00 dollars today |
| $10,000 dollars in 1949 | $359,000.00 dollars today |
| $50,000 dollars in 1949 | $1,795,000.00 dollars today |
| $100,000 dollars in 1949 | $3,590,000.00 dollars today |
| $500,000 dollars in 1949 | $17,950,000.00 dollars today |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1949 | $35,900,000.00 dollars today |
How to calculate inflation rate for $100 since 1949
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1949 and today:
CPI todayCPI in 1949
×
1949 AUD value
=
Today's value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Australian CPI was 4 in the year 1949 and 143.6 in 2026:
143.64
×
$100
=
$3,590
$100 in 1949 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $3,590 in 2026.
To get the total inflation rate for the 77 years between 1949 and 2026, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2026 - CPI in 1949CPI in 1949
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (77 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
143.6 - 44
×
100
=
3,490%
Frequently asked questions
How much is $100 from 1949 worth today?
$100 in 1949 has about the same buying power as $3,590 today, based on the consumer price index published by the Bureau of Statistics. Prices today are 35.90 times as high as they were in 1949.
What was the inflation rate in 1949?
The Australian inflation rate in 1949 was 8.11%, measured as the change in the consumer price index from 1948 to 1949. See inflation in 1949 for more detail.
What has the average inflation rate been since 1949?
Prices rose by an average of 4.76% per year between 1949 and today, a cumulative increase of 3,490.00%. Because inflation compounds, these yearly changes add up over 77 years.
How much value has the dollar lost since 1949?
A dollar today buys about 2.8% of what it could in 1949. In other words, it has lost about 97.2% of its purchasing power.
How is this calculated?
Divide the CPI in 2026 (143.6) by the CPI in 1949 (4), then multiply by the original amount: 143.6 ÷ 4 × $100 = $3,590. See the step-by-step formula above.
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: “$100 in 1949 → $3,590 today | Australia Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 17 Oct. 2026, https://www.officialdata.org/australia/inflation/1949.
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 | 3,490.00% |
| Average inflation rate | 4.76% |
|
Converted amount
$100 base | $3,590 |
|
Price difference
$100 base | $3,490.00 |
| CPI in 1949 | 4.000 |
| CPI in 2026 | 143.600 |
| Inflation in 1949 | 8.11% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 1.13% |
| $100 in 1949 | $3,590 in 2026 |