Inflation in 1848 and its effect on pound value
£1 in 1847 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £0.87 in 1848. The pound had an average deflation rate of -12.84% per year since 1847, producing a cumulative price change of -12.84%. Purchasing power increased by 12.84% in 1848 compared to 1847. On average, you would have to spend 12.84% less money in 1848 than in 1847 for the same item. This is an example of deflation.
This means that prices in 1848 are 12.84% lower than average prices since 1847, according to the Office for National Statistics composite price index.
The inflation rate in 1847 was 12.37%. The inflation rate in 1848 was -12.84%. The 1848 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 2.91% per year between 1848 and 2023.
Inflation rate is calculated by change in the composite price index (CPI). The CPI in 1848 was 9.50. It was 10.90 in the previous year, 1847. The difference in CPI between the years is used by the Office for National Statistics to officially determine inflation. Because the 1848 CPI is less than 1847 CPI, negative inflation (also known as deflation) has occurred.
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| Average inflation rate | -12.84% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £0.87 |
| Price difference £1 base | £-0.13 |
| CPI in 1847 | 10.900 |
| CPI in 1848 | 9.500 |
| Inflation in 1847 | 12.37% |
| Inflation in 1848 | -12.84% |
| £1 in 1847 | £0.87 in 1848 |
How to calculate inflation rate for £1, 1847 to 1848
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1847 and 1848:
CPI in 1848 CPI in 1847
×
1847 GBP value
=
1848 GBP value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.K. CPI was 10.9 in the year 1847 and 9.5 in 1848:
9.510.9
×
£1
=
£0.87
£1 in 1847 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as £0.87 in 1848.
To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1847 and 1848, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1848 - CPI in 1847CPI in 1847
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (1 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
9.5 - 10.910.9
×
100
=
-13%
Data source & citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the composite price index published by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS). A composite index is created by combining price data from several different published sources, both official and unofficial. The Consumer Price Index, normally used to compute inflation, has only been tracked since 1988. All inflation calculations after 1988 use the Office for National Statistics' Consumer Price Index, except for 2017, which is based on The Bank of England's forecast.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “Inflation Rate in 1848 | UK Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 15 Sep. 2023, https://www.officialdata.org/UK-inflation-rate-in-1848.
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.
| Average inflation rate | -12.84% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £0.87 |
| Price difference £1 base | £-0.13 |
| CPI in 1847 | 10.900 |
| CPI in 1848 | 9.500 |
| Inflation in 1847 | 12.37% |
| Inflation in 1848 | -12.84% |
| £1 in 1847 | £0.87 in 1848 |