Inflation Record$100 in 1942 → 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
$1,903.36
+1803.4% cumulative inflation · 1942–2026
Your $100 in 1942 would have the purchasing power of $1,903.36 in Canada today.
What this means
- Purchasing power: $100 in 1942 had the same average buying power as $1,903.36 in 2026.
- Price level change: the overall consumer price level rose by 1803.4% across this 84-year span; the purchasing power of a dollar changed by -94.7%.
- 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 1942 | Worth in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $19.03 |
| $5 | $95.17 |
| $10 | $190.34 |
| $20 | $380.67 |
| $50 | $951.68 |
| $100 | $1,903.36 |
| $500 | $9,516.81 |
| $1,000 | $19,033.62 |
| $10,000 | $190,336.16 |
| $100,000 | $1,903,361.61 |
Key facts about 1942
- Consumer prices rose 4.6% in 1942 — the 26th-largest annual increase in the 1914–2026 record.
- In the decade after 1942, prices rose 60.1% in total.
- Since 1942, the overall price level has multiplied about 19.0× — $1.00 in 1942 buys what $19.03 buys in 2026.
$100 in 1942, decade by decade
| Year | Worth | Cumulative price change |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | $160.13 | +60.1% |
| 1962 | $179.45 | +79.5% |
| 1972 | $247.97 | +148.0% |
| 1982 | $620.45 | +520.5% |
| 1992 | $950.05 | +850.0% |
| 2002 | $1,130.91 | +1030.9% |
| 2012 | $1,376.15 | +1276.2% |
| 2022 | $1,710.56 | +1610.6% |
| 2026 | $1,903.36 | +1803.4% |
Monthly CPI in 1942
| Period | Index | Change vs same period, prior year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 8.7 | 6.1% |
| February | 8.7 | 6.1% |
| March | 8.8 | 7.3% |
| April | 8.8 | 7.3% |
| May | 8.8 | 7.3% |
| June | 8.8 | 4.8% |
| July | 8.9 | 4.7% |
| August | 8.9 | 3.5% |
| September | 8.8 | 1.1% |
| October | 8.9 | 2.3% |
| November | 9.0 | 2.3% |
| December | 9.0 | 3.4% |
Annual average for 1942: 8.842
Verify this calculation
Series: Table 18-10-0004-01, All-items; base 2002=100; not seasonally adjusted.
Index (1942 annual average): 8.842 · Index (2026 annual average): 168.289 · Ratio: 19.0336
Formula: amount × (indexend / indexstart). Formula v1.0 — annual-average CPI, NSA (per-country basis on each methodology page). Source: Statistics Canada.