The Canadian dollar has lost 70% of its value since 1981
Updated: October 14, 2026$100 in 1981 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $333.97 today, an increase of $233.97 over 45 years. Cumulative inflation since 1981 is 233.97%: the dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.72% per year between 1981 and today.
This means that today's prices are 3.34 times as high as average prices in 1981, according to Statistics Canada consumer price index. A dollar today only buys 29.9% of what it could buy back then.
The inflation rate in 1981 was 12.47%. The current inflation rate compared to the end of last year is now 2.22%. If this number holds, $100 today will be equivalent in buying power to $102.22 next year.
Contents
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| Cumulative price change | 233.97% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.72% |
|
Converted amount
$100 base | $333.97 |
|
Price difference
$100 base | $233.97 |
| CPI in 1981 | 49.525 |
| CPI in 2026 | 165.400 |
| Inflation in 1981 | 12.47% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 2.22% |
| $100 in 1981 | $333.97 in 2026 |
Buying power of $100 in 1981
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1981 (price index tracking began in 1914).
For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $333.97 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $100 is equivalent to $333.97 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 1981 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 45 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 1981 amounts in today's dollars, based on the 233.97% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1981 | $3.34 dollars today |
| $5 dollars in 1981 | $16.70 dollars today |
| $10 dollars in 1981 | $33.40 dollars today |
| $50 dollars in 1981 | $166.99 dollars today |
| $100 dollars in 1981 | $333.97 dollars today |
| $500 dollars in 1981 | $1,669.86 dollars today |
| $1,000 dollars in 1981 | $3,339.73 dollars today |
| $5,000 dollars in 1981 | $16,698.64 dollars today |
| $10,000 dollars in 1981 | $33,397.27 dollars today |
| $50,000 dollars in 1981 | $166,986.37 dollars today |
| $100,000 dollars in 1981 | $333,972.74 dollars today |
| $500,000 dollars in 1981 | $1,669,863.71 dollars today |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1981 | $3,339,727.41 dollars today |
How to calculate inflation rate for $100 since 1981
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1981 and today:
CPI todayCPI in 1981
×
1981 CAD value
=
Today's value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Canadian CPI was 49.525 in the year 1981 and 165.4 in 2026:
165.449.525
×
$100
=
$333.97
$100 in 1981 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $333.97 in 2026.
To get the total inflation rate for the 45 years between 1981 and 2026, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2026 - CPI in 1981CPI in 1981
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (45 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
165.4 - 49.52549.525
×
100
=
234%
Frequently asked questions
How much is $100 from 1981 worth today?
$100 in 1981 has about the same buying power as $333.97 today, based on the consumer price index published by Statistics Canada. Prices today are 3.34 times as high as they were in 1981.
What was the inflation rate in 1981?
The Canadian inflation rate in 1981 was 12.47%, measured as the change in the consumer price index from 1980 to 1981. See inflation in 1981 for more detail.
What has the average inflation rate been since 1981?
Prices rose by an average of 2.72% per year between 1981 and today, a cumulative increase of 233.97%. Because inflation compounds, these yearly changes add up over 45 years.
How much value has the dollar lost since 1981?
A dollar today buys about 29.9% of what it could in 1981. In other words, it has lost about 70.1% of its purchasing power.
How is this calculated?
Divide the CPI in 2026 (165.4) by the CPI in 1981 (49.525), then multiply by the original amount: 165.4 ÷ 49.525 × $100 = $333.97. See the step-by-step formula above.
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: “$100 in 1981 → $333.97 today | Canada Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 21 Oct. 2026, https://www.officialdata.org/canada/inflation/1981.
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 | 233.97% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.72% |
|
Converted amount
$100 base | $333.97 |
|
Price difference
$100 base | $233.97 |
| CPI in 1981 | 49.525 |
| CPI in 2026 | 165.400 |
| Inflation in 1981 | 12.47% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 2.22% |
| $100 in 1981 | $333.97 in 2026 |