Inflation Record
$100 in 1940 → Today (Canada)
Official data verified · CPI (Statistics Canada) · Annual average · Not seasonally adjusted · Data through September 2026 (fetched 2026-11-02) · Table 18-10-0004-01, All-items
$2,110.21
+2010.2% cumulative inflation · 1940–2026
Your $100 in 1940 would have the purchasing power of $2,110.21 in Canada today.
What this means
- Purchasing power: $100 in 1940 had the same average buying power as $2,110.21 in 2026.
- Price level change: the overall consumer price level rose by 2010.2% across this 86-year span; the purchasing power of a dollar changed by -95.3%.
- This measures the broad basket of consumer goods and services (CPI (Statistics Canada)). Individual expenses moved at different rates.
What this means in other amounts
| In 1940 | Worth in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $21.10 |
| $5 | $105.51 |
| $10 | $211.02 |
| $20 | $422.04 |
| $50 | $1,055.10 |
| $100 | $2,110.21 |
| $500 | $10,551.03 |
| $1,000 | $21,102.06 |
| $10,000 | $211,020.55 |
| $100,000 | $2,110,205.50 |
Key facts about 1940
- Consumer prices rose 4.2% in 1940 — the 30th-largest annual increase in the 1914–2026 record.
- In the decade after 1940, prices rose 56.5% in total.
- Since 1940, the overall price level has multiplied about 21.1× — $1.00 in 1940 buys what $21.10 buys in 2026.
$100 in 1940, decade by decade
| Year | Worth | Cumulative price change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $156.53 | +56.5% |
| 1960 | $194.88 | +94.9% |
| 1970 | $254.96 | +155.0% |
| 1980 | $552.14 | +452.1% |
| 1990 | $982.55 | +882.5% |
| 2000 | $1,195.92 | +1095.9% |
| 2010 | $1,460.40 | +1360.4% |
| 2020 | $1,717.35 | +1617.3% |
| 2026 | $2,110.21 | +2010.2% |
Monthly CPI in 1940
| Period | Index | Change vs same period, prior year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 7.8 | 2.6% |
| February | 7.8 | 2.6% |
| March | 7.9 | 3.9% |
| April | 7.9 | 3.9% |
| May | 7.9 | 3.9% |
| June | 7.9 | 3.9% |
| July | 8.0 | 5.3% |
| August | 8.0 | 5.3% |
| September | 8.1 | 6.6% |
| October | 8.1 | 3.8% |
| November | 8.1 | 3.8% |
| December | 8.2 | 5.1% |
Annual average for 1940: 7.975
Verify this calculation
Series: Table 18-10-0004-01, All-items; base 2002=100; not seasonally adjusted.
Index (1940 annual average): 7.975 · Index (2026 annual average): 168.289 · Ratio: 21.1021
Formula: amount × (indexend / indexstart). Formula v1.0 — annual-average CPI, NSA (per-country basis on each methodology page). Source: Statistics Canada.