See how the buying power of money changed between two years using the UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI). Enter an amount and choose any complete year from 1988 to 2025.
Calculate UK inflation
Enter an amount and select two years to compare purchasing power.
What does this inflation calculator show?
The United Kingdom Inflation Calculator estimates how much money from one year would be needed to buy a broadly similar basket of goods and services in another year. For example, if the result says that £100 in an earlier year is equivalent to £150 in a later year, prices represented by the CPI basket increased by about 50% across that period.
This is a purchasing-power comparison, not an investment-return calculator. It does not say that every individual product rose by the same percentage. Rent, energy, food, transport and other categories can move at different rates, while the contents and weights of the official CPI basket are reviewed over time.
How to use the UK inflation calculator
- Enter the amount in pounds.
- Select the year in which that amount was held or spent.
- Select the year whose prices you want to compare.
- Choose Calculate Inflation.
You can also calculate backwards. Selecting a later year first and an earlier year second shows the earlier-year equivalent and a negative percentage change.
Formula used
Cumulative inflation is calculated as (comparison CPI ÷ starting CPI − 1) × 100. Results are rounded to the nearest penny and two decimal places for the percentage.
Worked example
The annual CPI index was 72.7 in 2000 and 138.4 in 2025. Using the formula, £100 × (138.4 ÷ 72.7) gives approximately £190.37. This means that goods and services costing £100 in 2000 would, on average across the CPI basket, cost about £190.37 at 2025 prices. The cumulative change is approximately 90.37%.
What was a British pound worth in another year?
Use this GBP inflation calculator to compare an amount in pounds across two complete calendar years. Enter £100, choose 2000 and 2025, and the result shows about £190.37 in 2025 money using the annual CPI figures. This UK pound inflation calculator describes changes in general purchasing power; it does not convert GBP into another currency or tell you the market price of a particular item.
Historical UK inflation between two years
For a historical inflation comparison, choose any available start and end year from 1988 to 2025. The calculator reports the cumulative percentage change across the whole period. To find an average annual rate between two years, use (ending CPI ÷ starting CPI)1 ÷ number of years − 1. For example, the ONS annual CPI values are 78.1 in 2005 and 138.4 in 2025; over those 20 years, the annualised rate is about 2.90%. That annualised figure is an average over the period, not the inflation rate in every individual year.
Compare an old salary with today’s prices
You can enter a past annual salary as the pound amount to estimate its CPI-equivalent buying power in a later year. For example, enter £25,000 with a past year and compare it with 2025. This does not calculate what the salary should be, a pay rise, take-home pay or regional living costs; it only adjusts the amount using the national CPI basket.
Calculate an inflation rate between two years
To use this as an inflation rate calculator UK comparison, select two available years and read the cumulative percentage change. The inflation calculation formula is (later-year CPI ÷ earlier-year CPI − 1) × 100. For a British pound inflation calculator example, £100 in 2000 is roughly £190.37 at 2025 CPI levels. The calculation describes average UK prices, not an exchange rate or a forecast.
A historic inflation calculator UK search may ask about years before 1988, such as 1986. This particular tool starts at 1988, so it cannot answer a 1986 comparison. For a salary question, enter the salary as a pound amount and compare purchasing power; the tool does not calculate tax or a pay rise.
Compare pounds and pay across years
This Britain inflation calculator compares the buying power of an amount in pounds between two years. If you came looking for an inflation calculator UK salary comparison, enter your old salary as the amount and compare it with the result for a later year. A pound sterling inflation calculator gives a historical purchasing-power estimate, not a prediction of your next pay rise.
Wondering how to calculate inflation rate between 2 years? Divide the later price index by the earlier one, subtract one and multiply by 100. To find the average annual rate, raise that index ratio to the power of one divided by the number of years, then subtract one. This explains how to calculate annual inflation rate from a longer period.
Which inflation measure is used?
This calculator uses the Office for National Statistics CPI all-items index, series D7BT, with 2015 as the index base of 100. CPI is a widely used measure of consumer price inflation. The tool uses complete annual averages so that every selectable year is comparable on the same basis.
The latest complete annual value available in the September 2026 ONS time series is 2025. Although monthly and quarterly figures exist for 2026, a full-year 2026 average is not yet complete, so 2026 is not offered as an annual comparison year here.
CPI and CPIH are not identical
CPIH is the ONS lead measure of consumer price inflation and includes owner occupiers’ housing costs and Council Tax. CPI does not include those owner-occupier housing costs in the same way. This calculator is specifically based on CPI because the chosen ONS series provides a consistent annual comparison. Results from a CPIH-based calculator may differ.
Limits of the estimate
- It represents average price movement across the CPI basket, not your personal spending pattern.
- It does not account for regional price differences within the United Kingdom.
- It does not calculate wages, interest, investment growth or tax.
- Historical index values may be revised by the ONS.
- Very large or unusual amounts are mathematical estimates, not valuations.
Inflation calculator GBP: compare the buying power of pounds
Enter a pound amount and choose two available years to see its CPI-equivalent value. If you searched for an English pound inflation calculator, this tool uses pound sterling, the UK currency. It compares purchasing power over time using UK CPI rather than converting pounds into another currency.
Currency inflation calculator UK: what the conversion means
An inflation converter pounds comparison keeps the currency the same and adjusts the amount for the change in consumer prices. For example, you can compare the buying power of an old savings balance with its equivalent in a later year. Your own spending may change differently from the national average.
UK historic inflation calculator: select a complete year
Use this historical UK inflation calculator for the annual CPI data available from 1988 to 2025. A historical inflation calculator UK comparison works best when you select the same kind of time period on both sides. This inflation by year calculator uses complete calendar-year averages; it does not compare individual months or forecast future inflation.
Average inflation rate UK last 20 years
For a 20-year comparison ending in 2025, select 2005 and 2025. The percentage result is the total change over that period, rather than the average annual rate. To calculate an annualised rate, divide the ending CPI by the starting CPI, raise that ratio to the power of 1/20, subtract 1 and multiply by 100. This gives the constant annual rate that would produce the same cumulative change; an arithmetic average of individual annual rates is a different calculation.
How to find the inflation rate
A UK inflation rate calculator comparison uses the ratio of the CPI values for your chosen years. For a one-year period, select consecutive years. For a longer period, read the cumulative change and use the annualised formula above if you need a rate per year. Always check whether a figure describes one year or the whole period.
U.K. inflation calculator and U.K. inflation rate calculator results
The amount and percentage answer two connected questions: how much an old pound amount would be worth at the comparison year’s price level, and how much the price index changed. Use both when comparing an old salary, bill or savings balance.
Can I calculate inflation since 1986?
This tool’s available years begin in 1988, so it cannot calculate inflation since 1986. Do not substitute 1988 and treat the result as a 1986 comparison. You would need a suitable historical series covering 1986 and the same inflation measure for both years.
Related UK calculators
UK inflation history: rates by year and what they mean
Looking for UK inflation rate history or historical UK inflation? The annual inflation rate measures how much the price index changed compared with the previous year. A historical inflation calculator answers a different question: how much prices changed between two selected years. This tool uses annual-average UK CPI index levels from 1988 to 2025, so you can compare purchasing power across that period. It does not display a complete year-by-year inflation rate table.
How to read UK inflation rates by year
An annual inflation rate of 5% means that the measured basket of goods and services cost around 5% more than in the comparison period. If inflation falls from 5% to 2%, prices are still rising overall, just more slowly. Deflation is different: it means the general price level falls. For the official UK inflation history and downloadable annual or monthly series, use the Office for National Statistics inflation and price indices.
Latest UK inflation rate versus historical annual averages
The ONS reported 3.5% CPI inflation and 3.6% CPIH inflation for the 12 months to September 2026 (released 21 October 2026). These are rolling 12-month rates, not full-calendar-year averages. This calculator currently compares complete years through 2025; do not use its 2025 endpoint as a live October 2026 inflation estimate. See the latest ONS consumer price inflation release for the newest official figure.
UK inflation in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s
To explore UK inflation history by decade, enter £100 and compare 1990 with 2000, 2000 with 2010, 2010 with 2020, or 2020 with 2025. Keep the amount fixed so you can see how the cumulative change in the price level differs across periods. A ten-year increase is not the same as a single year’s inflation rate. The index ratio reflects the combined effect of price changes over the selected years.
Why inflation can affect savings, salaries and retirement income
Inflation reduces the buying power of a fixed amount of money over time. If your pay or savings balance rises by less than prices, its purchasing power can fall. Use the calculator to express a past salary or savings amount in later-year prices, but remember that a general CPI measure cannot represent every household’s personal spending. If you are planning retirement income, explore our Pension Drawdown Calculator UK and Retirement Calculator UK for separate projections.
CPI, CPIH and RPI: which UK inflation index is used?
CPI is the index used in this calculator and in the Bank of England’s inflation target. CPIH also includes owner-occupiers’ housing costs and Council Tax, and is the ONS’s lead inflation measure. RPI is an older measure that does not meet the required standard for accredited official statistics, although it is still used in some contracts. Figures from different indices should not be treated as interchangeable. The Bank of England inflation calculator provides another CPI-based purchasing-power comparison with a different historical date range and current-year handling.
Frequently asked questions
What years can I compare?
You can compare complete annual CPI averages from 1988 through 2025.
Is this based on official UK inflation data?
Yes. It uses the ONS CPI all-items annual index, series D7BT.
Why is 2026 not selectable?
The 2026 annual average is not complete yet. Monthly and quarterly observations should not be presented as a finished annual value.
Can I calculate inflation backwards?
Yes. Select a later starting year and an earlier comparison year to see the earlier equivalent value and deflation-style percentage change.
Does the result match my personal cost of living?
Not necessarily. CPI represents an average basket; your spending mix may rise or fall differently.
Important: This calculator is for general information and historical comparison. It is not financial, investment or legal advice.