Inflation Record$100 in 1972 → 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
$767.57
+667.6% cumulative inflation · 1972–2026
Your $100 in 1972 would have the purchasing power of $767.57 in Canada today.
What this means
- Purchasing power: $100 in 1972 had the same average buying power as $767.57 in 2026.
- Price level change: the overall consumer price level rose by 667.6% across this 54-year span; the purchasing power of a dollar changed by -87.0%.
- 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 1972 | Worth in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $7.68 |
| $5 | $38.38 |
| $10 | $76.76 |
| $20 | $153.51 |
| $50 | $383.78 |
| $100 | $767.57 |
| $500 | $3,837.83 |
| $1,000 | $7,675.66 |
| $10,000 | $76,756.62 |
| $100,000 | $767,566.20 |
Key facts about 1972
- Consumer prices rose 5.0% in 1972 — the 23rd-largest annual increase in the 1914–2026 record.
- Among the major categories tracked since 1972, Energy rose the most: 1277.8% cumulatively to 2025.
- In the decade after 1972, prices rose 150.2% in total.
$100 in 1972, decade by decade
| Year | Worth | Cumulative price change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | $250.21 | +150.2% |
| 1992 | $383.12 | +283.1% |
| 2002 | $456.06 | +356.1% |
| 2012 | $554.96 | +455.0% |
| 2022 | $689.81 | +589.8% |
| 2026 | $767.57 | +667.6% |
Monthly CPI in 1972
| Period | Index | Change vs same period, prior year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 21.4 | 4.9% |
| February | 21.5 | 4.9% |
| March | 21.6 | 5.4% |
| April | 21.7 | 4.8% |
| May | 21.7 | 4.8% |
| June | 21.7 | 4.3% |
| July | 22.0 | 4.8% |
| August | 22.2 | 4.7% |
| September | 22.3 | 5.7% |
| October | 22.3 | 5.2% |
| November | 22.3 | 5.2% |
| December | 22.4 | 5.2% |
Annual average for 1972: 21.925
Verify this calculation
Series: Table 18-10-0004-01, All-items; base 2002=100; not seasonally adjusted.
Index (1972 annual average): 21.925 · Index (2026 annual average): 168.289 · Ratio: 7.6757
Formula: amount × (indexend / indexstart). Formula v1.0 — annual-average CPI, NSA (per-country basis on each methodology page). Source: Statistics Canada.