According to Statistics Canada consumer price index, today's prices in 2019 are
1,207.84% higher than
average prices throughout 1919.
The dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 2.60% per year during this period, meaning the real value of a dollar decreased.
In other words, $100 in 1919 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1,307.84 in 2019, a difference of $1,207.84 over 100 years.
The 1919 inflation rate was 8.51%. The current inflation rate (2018 to 2019) is now 1.99%1. If this number holds, $100 today will be equivalent in buying power to $101.99 next year.
This chart shows calculation of buying power equivalence, often referred to as "the value of a dollar" over time for $100 in 1919 (price index tracking began in 1914).
According to Statistics Canada, each of these CAD amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
Year
Dollar Value
Inflation Rate
1919
$100.00
8.51%
1920
$109.80
9.80%
1921
$92.16
-16.07%
1922
$90.20
-2.13%
1923
$90.20
0.00%
1924
$89.22
-1.09%
1925
$91.18
2.20%
1926
$90.20
-1.08%
1927
$89.22
-1.09%
1928
$90.20
1.10%
1929
$92.16
2.17%
1930
$86.27
-6.38%
1931
$77.45
-10.23%
1932
$71.57
-7.59%
1933
$69.61
-2.74%
1934
$70.59
1.41%
1935
$72.55
2.78%
1936
$73.53
1.35%
1937
$76.47
4.00%
1938
$74.51
-2.56%
1939
$76.47
2.63%
1940
$80.39
5.13%
1941
$85.29
6.10%
1942
$88.24
3.45%
1943
$90.20
2.22%
1944
$88.24
-2.17%
1945
$90.20
2.22%
1946
$95.10
5.43%
1947
$108.82
14.43%
1948
$118.63
9.01%
1949
$119.61
0.83%
1950
$126.47
5.74%
1951
$140.20
10.85%
1952
$138.24
-1.40%
1953
$138.24
0.00%
1954
$138.24
0.00%
1955
$139.22
0.71%
1956
$143.14
2.82%
1957
$146.08
2.05%
1958
$150.00
2.68%
1959
$151.96
1.31%
1960
$153.92
1.29%
1961
$153.92
0.00%
1962
$156.86
1.91%
1963
$159.80
1.88%
1964
$162.75
1.84%
1965
$167.65
3.01%
1966
$173.53
3.51%
1967
$180.39
3.95%
1968
$188.24
4.35%
1969
$197.06
4.69%
1970
$199.02
1.00%
1971
$208.82
4.93%
1972
$219.61
5.16%
1973
$240.20
9.38%
1974
$270.59
12.65%
1975
$296.08
9.42%
1976
$312.75
5.63%
1977
$342.16
9.40%
1978
$371.57
8.60%
1979
$407.84
9.76%
1980
$452.94
11.06%
1981
$507.84
12.12%
1982
$554.90
9.27%
1983
$580.39
4.59%
1984
$601.96
3.72%
1985
$628.43
4.40%
1986
$654.90
4.21%
1987
$682.35
4.19%
1988
$708.82
3.88%
1989
$746.08
5.26%
1990
$783.33
4.99%
1991
$812.75
3.75%
1992
$830.39
2.17%
1993
$844.12
1.65%
1994
$846.08
0.23%
1995
$860.78
1.74%
1996
$879.41
2.16%
1997
$886.27
0.78%
1998
$895.10
1.00%
1999
$918.63
2.63%
2000
$948.04
3.20%
2001
$954.90
0.72%
2002
$991.18
3.80%
2003
$1,011.76
2.08%
2004
$1,033.33
2.13%
2005
$1,054.90
2.09%
2006
$1,072.55
1.67%
2007
$1,098.04
2.38%
2008
$1,110.78
1.16%
2009
$1,125.49
1.32%
2010
$1,151.96
2.35%
2011
$1,178.43
2.30%
2012
$1,188.24
0.83%
2013
$1,202.94
1.24%
2014
$1,220.59
1.47%
2015
$1,240.20
1.61%
2016
$1,258.82
1.50%
2017
$1,278.43
1.56%
2018
$1,282.35
0.31%
2019
$1,307.84
1.99%*
* Compared to previous annual rate. Not final. See inflation summary for latest 12-month trailing value.
Click to show 94 more rows
How to Calculate Inflation Rate for $100 since 1919
This inflation calculator uses the following inflation rate formula:
CPI in 2019CPI in 1919
×
1919 CAD value
=
2019 CAD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Canadian CPI was 10.2 in the year 1919 and 133.4 in 2019:
133.410.2
×
$100
=
$1,307.84
$100 in 1919 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1,307.84 in 2019.
To get the total inflation rate for the 100 years between 1919 and 2019, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2019 - CPI in 1919CPI in 1919
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (100 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
133.4 - 10.210.2
×
100
=
1,208%
News headlines from 1919
Politics and news often influence economic performance. Here's what was happening at the time:
The German Farmer's Party, which would later develop into National Socialist Party, is formed.
The Bolshevik party re-establishes the idea of a five-member Politburo at the 8th Congress of the Russian Communist Party, making it the central body of political power in the Soviet Union. Its first members were Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Lev Kamenev and Nikolai Krestinsky.
The Turkish War of Independence begins after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's lands at Samsun, on the Black Sea.
The Treaty of Versailles is signed ending World War I and establishing the League of Nations.
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:
“1919 dollars in 2019 | Canada Inflation Calculator.” U.S. Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 16 Dec. 2019, https://www.officialdata.org/ca/inflation/1919.
Special thanks to QuickChart for providing downloadable chart images.
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.