Result: fr.100 in 1978 → fr.211.63 in 2024
The Swiss Franc has lost 53% its value since 1978
Updated: April 10, 2025fr.100 in 1978 is equivalent in purchasing power to about fr.211.63 today, an increase of fr.111.63 over 46 years. The franc had an average inflation rate of 1.64% per year between 1978 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 111.63%.
This means that today's prices are 2.12 times as high as average prices since 1978, according to the OECD and the World Bank consumer price index for Switzerland. A franc today only buys 47.252% of what it could buy back then.
The inflation rate in 1978 was 1.03%. The current inflation rate compared to the end of last year is now 1.88%. If this number holds, fr.100 today will be equivalent in buying power to fr.101.88 next year.
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| Cumulative price change | 111.63% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.64% |
| Converted amount fr.100 base | fr.211.63 |
| Price difference fr.100 base | fr.111.63 |
| CPI in 1978 | 51.234 |
| CPI in 2024 | 108.428 |
| Inflation in 1978 | 1.03% |
| Inflation in 2024 | 1.88% |
| fr.100 in 1978 | fr.211.63 in 2024 |
Buying power of fr.100 in 1978
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for fr.100 in 1978 (price index tracking began in 1955).
For example, if you started with fr.100, you would need to end with fr.211.63 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When fr.100 is equivalent to fr.211.63 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single Swiss franc decreases over time. In other words, a franc will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a franc over time. By calculating the value in 1978 dollars, the chart below shows how fr.100 is worth less over 46 years.
According to the OECD and the World Bank, each of these CHF amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1978 amounts in today's francs, based on the 111.63% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| fr.1 franc in 1978 | fr.2.12 francs today |
| fr.5 francs in 1978 | fr.10.58 francs today |
| fr.10 francs in 1978 | fr.21.16 francs today |
| fr.50 francs in 1978 | fr.105.82 francs today |
| fr.100 francs in 1978 | fr.211.63 francs today |
| fr.500 francs in 1978 | fr.1,058.16 francs today |
| fr.1,000 francs in 1978 | fr.2,116.33 francs today |
| fr.5,000 francs in 1978 | fr.10,581.63 francs today |
| fr.10,000 francs in 1978 | fr.21,163.26 francs today |
| fr.50,000 francs in 1978 | fr.105,816.28 francs today |
| fr.100,000 francs in 1978 | fr.211,632.56 francs today |
| fr.500,000 francs in 1978 | fr.1,058,162.78 francs today |
| fr.1,000,000 francs in 1978 | fr.2,116,325.57 francs today |
How to calculate inflation rate for fr.100 since 1978
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1978 and today:
CPI today CPI in 1978
×
1978 CHF value
=
Today's value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The Swiss CPI was 51.23402 in the year 1978 and 108.42786654182534 in 2024:
108.4278665418253451.23402
×
fr.100
=
fr.211.63
fr.100 in 1978 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as fr.211.63 in 2024.
To get the total inflation rate for the 46 years between 1978 and 2024, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2024 - CPI in 1978CPI in 1978
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (46 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
108.42786654182534 - 51.2340251.23402
×
100
=
112%
Data source & citation
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “Value of 1978 Swiss Francs today | Switzerland Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 2 May. 2025, https://www.officialdata.org/switzerland/inflation/1978.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.
| Cumulative price change | 111.63% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.64% |
| Converted amount fr.100 base | fr.211.63 |
| Price difference fr.100 base | fr.111.63 |
| CPI in 1978 | 51.234 |
| CPI in 2024 | 108.428 |
| Inflation in 1978 | 1.03% |
| Inflation in 2024 | 1.88% |
| fr.100 in 1978 | fr.211.63 in 2024 |
