Value of $1 from 1981 to 2019
$1 in 1981 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $2.75 in 2019, an increase of $1.75 over 38 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.69% per year between 1981 and 2019, producing a cumulative price increase of 174.58%.
This means that prices in 2019 are 2.75 times as high as average prices since 1981, according to Statistics Canada consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1981 was 12.47%. The inflation rate in 2019 was 1.95%. The 2019 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 2.94% per year between 2019 and 2025.
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 174.58% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.69% |
| Converted amount $1 base | $2.75 |
| Price difference $1 base | $1.75 |
| CPI in 1981 | 49.525 |
| CPI in 2019 | 135.983 |
| Inflation in 1981 | 12.47% |
| Inflation in 2019 | 1.95% |
| $1 in 1981 | $2.75 in 2019 |
Buying power of $1 in 1981
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $1 in 1981 (price index tracking began in 1914).
For example, if you started with $1, you would need to end with $2.75 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $1 is equivalent to $2.75 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 $1 is worth less over 38 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 2019 dollars, based on the 174.58% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1981 | $2.75 dollars in 2019 |
| $5 dollars in 1981 | $13.73 dollars in 2019 |
| $10 dollars in 1981 | $27.46 dollars in 2019 |
| $50 dollars in 1981 | $137.29 dollars in 2019 |
| $100 dollars in 1981 | $274.58 dollars in 2019 |
| $500 dollars in 1981 | $1,372.88 dollars in 2019 |
| $1,000 dollars in 1981 | $2,745.75 dollars in 2019 |
| $5,000 dollars in 1981 | $13,728.76 dollars in 2019 |
| $10,000 dollars in 1981 | $27,457.51 dollars in 2019 |
| $50,000 dollars in 1981 | $137,287.57 dollars in 2019 |
| $100,000 dollars in 1981 | $274,575.13 dollars in 2019 |
| $500,000 dollars in 1981 | $1,372,875.65 dollars in 2019 |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1981 | $2,745,751.30 dollars in 2019 |
How to calculate inflation rate for $1, 1981 to 2019
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1981 and 2019:
CPI in 2019 CPI in 1981
×
1981 CAD value
=
2019 CAD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Canadian CPI was 49.525 in the year 1981 and 135.9833333 in 2019:
135.983333349.525
×
$1
=
$2.75
$1 in 1981 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $2.75 in 2019.
To get the total inflation rate for the 38 years between 1981 and 2019, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2019 - CPI in 1981CPI in 1981
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (38 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
135.9833333 - 49.52549.525
×
100
=
175%
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: “$1 in 1981 → 2019 | Canada Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 20 Dec. 2025, https://www.officialdata.org/1981-CAD-in-2019?amount=1.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 174.58% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.69% |
| Converted amount $1 base | $2.75 |
| Price difference $1 base | $1.75 |
| CPI in 1981 | 49.525 |
| CPI in 2019 | 135.983 |
| Inflation in 1981 | 12.47% |
| Inflation in 2019 | 1.95% |
| $1 in 1981 | $2.75 in 2019 |