This calculator will help you understand how the inflation rate in B.C. is affects your purchasing power over the years. To use the British Columbia Inflation Calculator, simply enter an amount in Canadian dollars near the “that costs” field, then enter the years you would like to compare. For instance, if you want to know the purchasing power of $100 in 2012 versus $100 in 1970, you can type 50 in the “that costs” field, then 1970 as the first year, and 2012 as the second year field.
How does this calculator get its data?
Our inflation calculator automatically extracts the most recent BC Consumer Price Index (CPI) from Statistics Canada to generate the inflation rate. Statcan releases a new CPI for British Columbia and all other provinces on a monthly basis, and has historical rates for BC going all the way down to 1979 (1914 for Canada). Note that the data is extracted as soon as it is published by the government, so you can be guaranteed that the numbers we use are up to date.
What is the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
The Consumer Price Index measures the increase of the cost of basic products and services that people in British Columbia consume on a daily basis, such as: food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, transportation, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products. A CPI increase means the inflation goes up. The CPI is calculated monthly and is published by Statistics Canada on their website as soon as it comes out. Major cities in BC like Vancouver and Victoria also have their own CPIs, and we are in the process of developing calculators for those cities as well.
Notice a mistake or bug with the calculator?
We do our best to ensure our results are accurate and match the CPI data provided by Statistics Canada. However, like with every script, errors and/or bugs do occasionally pop up, especially during the update process. If you think you are getting the wrong numbers for BC or any other province, or you are getting an error message during the calculation, please contact our administrator and it will get resolved in a flash.
Useful BC Financial Resources
- BC Debt Consolidation: if you are struggling with debt in British Columbia, these resources can help alleviate debt.
- BC Equipment Loans: if you want to purchase equipment or machinery for your business in Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna, Surrey, Richmond or elsewhere in British Columbia, these BC asset-based financing companies are worth looking into.
- BC Business Insurance: If you own a business or want to start a business in British Columbia, getting liability insurance is paramount. These resources will help you find the right insurance policy for your company.
