Value of $1 from 1985 to 2021
$1 in 1985 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $82,898,612,856.38 today, an increase of $82,898,612,855.38 over 36 years. The bolivar had an average inflation rate of 101.04% per year between 1985 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 8,289,861,285,537.79%.
This means that today's prices are 82,898,612,856.38 times as high as average prices since 1985, according to the International Monetary Fund consumer price index. A bolivar today only buys NaN% of what it could buy back then.
The inflation rate in 1985 was 11.40%. The current inflation rate compared to the end of last year is now 2,700.00%. If this number holds, $1 today will be equivalent in buying power to $28.00 next year.
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| Cumulative price change | 8,289,861,285,537.79% |
| Average inflation rate | 101.04% |
| Converted amount $1 base | $82,898,612,856.38 |
| Price difference $1 base | $82,898,612,855.38 |
| CPI in 1985 | 205.229 |
| CPI in 2021 | 17,013,168,256,313.000 |
| Inflation in 1985 | 11.40% |
| Inflation in 2021 | 2,700.00% |
| $1 in 1985 | $82,898,612,856.38 in 2021 |
Buying power of $1 in 1985
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $1 in 1985 (price index tracking began in 1979).
For example, if you started with $1, you would need to end with $82,898,612,856.38 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $1 is equivalent to $82,898,612,856.38 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single Venezuelan bolivar decreases over time. In other words, a bolivar will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a bolivar over time. By calculating the value in 1985 dollars, the chart below shows how $1 is worth less over 36 years.
According to the International Monetary Fund, each of these VEF amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1985 amounts in today's bolivars, based on the 8,289,861,285,537.79% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 bolivar in 1985 | $82,898,612,856.38 bolivars today |
| $5 bolivars in 1985 | $414,493,064,281.89 bolivars today |
| $10 bolivars in 1985 | $828,986,128,563.78 bolivars today |
| $50 bolivars in 1985 | $4,144,930,642,818.89 bolivars today |
| $100 bolivars in 1985 | $8,289,861,285,637.79 bolivars today |
| $500 bolivars in 1985 | $41,449,306,428,188.94 bolivars today |
| $1,000 bolivars in 1985 | $82,898,612,856,377.88 bolivars today |
| $5,000 bolivars in 1985 | $414,493,064,281,889.25 bolivars today |
| $10,000 bolivars in 1985 | $828,986,128,563,778.50 bolivars today |
| $50,000 bolivars in 1985 | $4,144,930,642,818,893.50 bolivars today |
| $100,000 bolivars in 1985 | $8,289,861,285,637,787.00 bolivars today |
| $500,000 bolivars in 1985 | $41,449,306,428,188,936.00 bolivars today |
| $1,000,000 bolivars in 1985 | $82,898,612,856,377,872.00 bolivars today |
How to calculate inflation rate for $1 since 1985
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1985 and today:
CPI today CPI in 1985
×
1985 VEF value
=
Today's value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Venezuelan CPI was 205.2286241 in the year 1985 and 17013168256313 in 2021:
17013168256313205.2286241
×
$1
=
$82,898,612,856.38
$1 in 1985 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $82,898,612,856.38 in 2021.
To get the total inflation rate for the 36 years between 1985 and 2021, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2021 - CPI in 1985CPI in 1985
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (36 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
17013168256313 - 205.2286241205.2286241
×
100
=
8,289,861,285,538%
Data source & citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the government of Venezuela's annual (CPI) as provided by the International Monetary Fund.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “$1 in 1985 → 2021 | Venezuela Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 5 Dec. 2025, https://www.officialdata.org/venezuela/inflation/1985?amount=1&endYear=2021.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 8,289,861,285,537.79% |
| Average inflation rate | 101.04% |
| Converted amount $1 base | $82,898,612,856.38 |
| Price difference $1 base | $82,898,612,855.38 |
| CPI in 1985 | 205.229 |
| CPI in 2021 | 17,013,168,256,313.000 |
| Inflation in 1985 | 11.40% |
| Inflation in 2021 | 2,700.00% |
| $1 in 1985 | $82,898,612,856.38 in 2021 |