UK Inflation Calculator: What’s It Worth Today?
Money from decades past is not worth the same today and needs to be converted by this inflation calculator, using official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to reflect the true value in today’s terms of any sum of money from 1950 to 2025. Also shown is the price of simple items such as milk, bread and flour over the years to give an indication of what your money could have actually got.
£100.00 in 1970 is worth about
£1,670.16in August 2026 prices. Something that cost £100.00 in 1970 would cost about £1,670.16 now.
- Cumulative inflation since 1970
- 1,570.2%
- Prices have multiplied by
- 16.7 times
Estimates for general information only, not advice. See Important information below.
Everyday prices: 1970 and 2024
| Item | 1970 price | 2024 price | 1970 price in 2024 money | Now in real terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pint of milk (pasteurised) | 4.7p | 65.1p | 73.2p | cheaper |
| White loaf, unwrapped, 800g | 8.8p | £1.67 | £1.37 | dearer |
| Self-raising flour, 1.5kg | 10.8p | 83p | £1.68 | cheaper |
| Onions, per kg | 12.6p | £1.07 | £1.96 | cheaper |
| Dessert apples, per kg | 18p | £2.13 | £2.80 | cheaper |
ONS average shop prices (annual averages). Its average price series stop in January 2025, so 2024 is the latest full year for items. Prices before 1971 are shown in decimal pence. “Dearer” or “cheaper” means more than 2% above or below the old price after inflation.
ONS item prices run to 2024, so there is no then-and-now price list for this year.
Written by Anthropic’s Claude AI from the figures above. What you enter is sent to it to write the explanation, so please don’t include personal details.
£1 and £100 from each decade in August 2026 money
| Year | £1 then | £100 then | Cumulative inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | £37.00 | £3,700 | 3,599.7% |
| 1960 | £24.87 | £2,487 | 2,386.5% |
| 1970 | £16.70 | £1,670 | 1,570.2% |
| 1980 | £4.63 | £463 | 363.0% |
| 1990 | £2.57 | £257 | 156.9% |
| 2000 | £1.98 | £198 | 97.5% |
| 2010 | £1.61 | £161 | 60.6% |
| 2020 | £1.32 | £132 | 32.1% |
Source: Office for National Statistics, CPI index D7BT (2015=100) for 1988 onwards, linked at 1988 to the long-run RPI series CDKO for earlier years. “Today” is the August 2026 CPI index (143.6), published 16 September 2026; the next figures are due 21 October 2026. Item prices: ONS RPI average prices (series CZNT, CZOG, CZOC, CZND, CZMY, CZMT). Data checked 16 October 2026.
How it works and where the numbers come from
For the years 1988 onwards the inflation calculator uses the ONS Consumer Prices Index (CPI) series D7BT with 2015 set at 100. For years prior to 1988 it uses the ONS long-run Retail Prices Index series CDKO and joins this series with the CPI series at 1988. The values for each year have been taken as the annual average. Today’s CPI figure for August 2026 is 143.6 as published on 16 September 2026. This figure will be updated after the next release which is due on 21 October 2026.
The value of a fixed amount of money today = (amount * today’s index) / chosen year index. The everyday items prices were sourced from the ONS average price series for the RPI. These series stop in January 2025, so 2024 is the last full year of prices for items.
A worked example
If you had £100 in 1970, prices have risen by 1,570.2% since then, so the same spending would now cost approximately £1,670.16 in August 2026. A pint of milk has dropped in price in real terms since 1970, averaging 4.7p in 1970 and 65.1p in 2024, and when allowed for inflation the 1970 pint would cost 73.2p in 2024 at constant prices. A white 800g loaf of bread, however, increased in price in real terms, rising from 8.8p in 1970 to £1.67 in 2024. At constant prices it would have cost £1.37.
FAQ
Is this a UK inflation calculator?
Yes. All figures have been extracted from ONS data for the UK and are expressed in pounds sterling.
Why does it use two price indices?
The ONS CPI index starts in 1988. To reach back to 1950, the calculator links it to the long-run RPI series, published by the ONS from 1800.
Why might my figure differ from other calculators?
Other calculators may use RPI for all years, or use a different “base” month or approach for current year estimates. This tool names the series and date for each figure so that it can be independently checked.
Does it cover wages or house prices?
No. It only includes prices of things which consumers buy. Wages and the prices of houses have not gone up at the same rate.
Why are some items missing for some years?
We only show a then-and-now price when the ONS has published both figures. Draught bitter, for example, starts in 1987, and there are no ONS prices for it in 2020 or 2021.