Result: $100 in 1961 → $8,136.54 in 2021
Why a rupee today is worth only 1% of a rupee in 1961
Updated: April 13, 2021$100 in 1961 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $8,136.54 today, an increase of $8,036.54 over 60 years. The rupee had an average inflation rate of 7.61% per year between 1961 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 8,036.54%.
This means that today's prices are 81.37 times higher than average prices since 1961, according to the World Bank consumer price index for India. A rupee today only buys 1.23% of what it could buy back then.
The 1961 inflation rate was 1.70%. The current year-over-year inflation rate (2020 to 2021) is now 7.66%1. If this number holds, $100 today will be equivalent in buying power to $107.66 next year.
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| Cumulative price change | 8,036.54% |
| Average inflation rate | 7.61% |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $8,136.54 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $8,036.54 |
| CPI in 1961 | 2.570 |
| CPI in 2021 | 209.136 |
| Inflation in 1961 | 1.70% |
| Inflation in 2021 | 7.66% |
| $100 in 1961 | $8,136.54 in 2021 |
Buying power of $100 in 1961
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1961 (price index tracking began in 1960).
For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $8,136.54 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $100 is equivalent to $8,136.54 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single Indian rupee decreases over time. In other words, a rupee will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a rupee over time. By calculating the value in 1961 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 60 years.
According to the World Bank, each of these INR amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1961 amounts in today's rupees, based on the 8,036.54% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 rupee in 1961 | $81.37 rupees today |
| $5 rupees in 1961 | $406.83 rupees today |
| $10 rupees in 1961 | $813.65 rupees today |
| $50 rupees in 1961 | $4,068.27 rupees today |
| $100 rupees in 1961 | $8,136.54 rupees today |
| $500 rupees in 1961 | $40,682.68 rupees today |
| $1,000 rupees in 1961 | $81,365.36 rupees today |
| $5,000 rupees in 1961 | $406,826.82 rupees today |
| $10,000 rupees in 1961 | $813,653.64 rupees today |
| $50,000 rupees in 1961 | $4,068,268.18 rupees today |
| $100,000 rupees in 1961 | $8,136,536.35 rupees today |
| $500,000 rupees in 1961 | $40,682,681.77 rupees today |
| $1,000,000 rupees in 1961 | $81,365,363.54 rupees today |
How to Calculate Inflation Rate for $100 since 1961
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1961 and today:
CPI today
CPI in 1961
×
1961 INR value
=
Today's value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Indian CPI was 2.5703333919 in the year 1961 and 209.13611086158144 in 2021:
209.136110861581442.5703333919
×
$100
=
$8,136.54
$100 in 1961 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $8,136.54 in 2021.
To get the total inflation rate for the 60 years between 1961 and 2021, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2021 - CPI in 1961CPI in 1961
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (60 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
209.13611086158144 - 2.57033339192.5703333919
×
100
=
8,037%
News headlines from 1961
Politics and news often influence economic performance. Here's what was happening at the time:
- A dog named Chernushka, frogs, and a guinea pig orbit the Earth in the Soviet flight Sputnik 9.
- Nelson Mandela is acquitted of treason after a four-and-a-half year trial.
Data Source & Citation
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “India Inflation Calculator: World Bank data, 1961-2021 (INR).” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 19 Apr. 2021, https://www.officialdata.org/india/inflation.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 8,036.54% |
| Average inflation rate | 7.61% |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $8,136.54 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $8,036.54 |
| CPI in 1961 | 2.570 |
| CPI in 2021 | 209.136 |
| Inflation in 1961 | 1.70% |
| Inflation in 2021 | 7.66% |
| $100 in 1961 | $8,136.54 in 2021 |