Inflation in 1881 and its effect on pound value
£1 in 1880 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £0.99 in 1881. The pound had an average deflation rate of -1.06% per year since 1880, producing a cumulative price change of -1.06%. Purchasing power increased by 1.06% in 1881 compared to 1880. On average, you would have to spend 1.06% less money in 1881 than in 1880 for the same item. This is an example of deflation.
This means that prices in 1881 are 1.06% lower than average prices since 1880, according to the Office for National Statistics composite price index.
The inflation rate in 1880 was 3.30%. The inflation rate in 1881 was -1.06%. The 1881 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 3.58% per year between 1881 and 2024.
Inflation rate is calculated by change in the composite price index (CPI). The CPI in 1881 was 9.30. It was 9.40 in the previous year, 1880. The difference in CPI between the years is used by the Office for National Statistics to officially determine inflation. Because the 1881 CPI is less than 1880 CPI, negative inflation (also known as deflation) has occurred.
⌃
| Average inflation rate | -1.06% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £0.99 |
| Price difference £1 base | £-0.01 |
| CPI in 1880 | 9.400 |
| CPI in 1881 | 9.300 |
| Inflation in 1880 | 3.30% |
| Inflation in 1881 | -1.06% |
| £1 in 1880 | £0.99 in 1881 |
How to calculate inflation rate for £1, 1880 to 1881
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1880 and 1881:
CPI in 1881 CPI in 1880
×
1880 GBP value
=
1881 GBP value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.K. CPI was 9.4 in the year 1880 and 9.3 in 1881:
9.39.4
×
£1
=
£0.99
£1 in 1880 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as £0.99 in 1881.
To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1880 and 1881, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1881 - CPI in 1880CPI in 1880
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (1 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
9.3 - 9.49.4
×
100
=
-1%
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 the current year, which is based on The Bank of England's forecast.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “Inflation Rate in 1881 | UK Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 11 Dec. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/UK-inflation-rate-in-1881.
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 | -1.06% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £0.99 |
| Price difference £1 base | £-0.01 |
| CPI in 1880 | 9.400 |
| CPI in 1881 | 9.300 |
| Inflation in 1880 | 3.30% |
| Inflation in 1881 | -1.06% |
| £1 in 1880 | £0.99 in 1881 |