Result: ₩100 in 1966 → ₩4,083.01 in 2026
The South Korean Won has lost 98% its value since 1966
Updated: December 18, 2025₩100 in 1966 is equivalent in purchasing power to about ₩4,083.01 today, an increase of ₩3,983.01 over 60 years. The won had an average inflation rate of 6.38% per year between 1966 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 3,983.01%.
This means that today's prices are 40.83 times as high as average prices since 1966, according to the OECD and the World Bank consumer price index for South Korea. A won today only buys 2.449% of what it could buy back then.
The inflation rate in 1966 was 11.26%. The current inflation rate compared to the end of last year is now 2.18%. If this number holds, ₩100 today will be equivalent in buying power to ₩102.18 next year.
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 3,983.01% |
| Average inflation rate | 6.38% |
| Converted amount ₩100 base | ₩4,083.01 |
| Price difference ₩100 base | ₩3,983.01 |
| CPI in 1966 | 3.062 |
| CPI in 2026 | 125.033 |
| Inflation in 1966 | 11.26% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 2.18% |
| ₩100 in 1966 | ₩4,083.01 in 2026 |
Buying power of ₩100 in 1966
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for ₩100 in 1966 (price index tracking began in 1965).
For example, if you started with ₩100, you would need to end with ₩4,083.01 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When ₩100 is equivalent to ₩4,083.01 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single South Korean won decreases over time. In other words, a won will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a won over time. By calculating the value in 1966 dollars, the chart below shows how ₩100 is worth less over 60 years.
According to the OECD and the World Bank, each of these KRW amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1966 amounts in today's won, based on the 3,983.01% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| ₩1 won in 1966 | ₩40.83 won today |
| ₩5 won in 1966 | ₩204.15 won today |
| ₩10 won in 1966 | ₩408.30 won today |
| ₩50 won in 1966 | ₩2,041.50 won today |
| ₩100 won in 1966 | ₩4,083.01 won today |
| ₩500 won in 1966 | ₩20,415.05 won today |
| ₩1,000 won in 1966 | ₩40,830.09 won today |
| ₩5,000 won in 1966 | ₩204,150.46 won today |
| ₩10,000 won in 1966 | ₩408,300.92 won today |
| ₩50,000 won in 1966 | ₩2,041,504.60 won today |
| ₩100,000 won in 1966 | ₩4,083,009.21 won today |
| ₩500,000 won in 1966 | ₩20,415,046.03 won today |
| ₩1,000,000 won in 1966 | ₩40,830,092.06 won today |
How to calculate inflation rate for ₩100 since 1966
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1966 and today:
CPI today CPI in 1966
×
1966 KRW value
=
Today's value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The South Korean CPI was 3.062278 in the year 1966 and 125.03309266835734 in 2026:
125.033092668357343.062278
×
₩100
=
₩4,083.01
₩100 in 1966 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as ₩4,083.01 in 2026.
To get the total inflation rate for the 60 years between 1966 and 2026, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2026 - CPI in 1966CPI in 1966
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (60 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
125.03309266835734 - 3.0622783.062278
×
100
=
3,983%
Data source & citation
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “South Korea Inflation Calculator: World Bank data, 1966-2026 (KRW).” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 10 Jan. 2026, https://www.officialdata.org/south-korea/inflation.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 3,983.01% |
| Average inflation rate | 6.38% |
| Converted amount ₩100 base | ₩4,083.01 |
| Price difference ₩100 base | ₩3,983.01 |
| CPI in 1966 | 3.062 |
| CPI in 2026 | 125.033 |
| Inflation in 1966 | 11.26% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 2.18% |
| ₩100 in 1966 | ₩4,083.01 in 2026 |