Inflation in 1932 and its effect on pound value
£1 in 1931 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £0.98 in 1932. The pound had an average deflation rate of -2.41% per year since 1931, producing a cumulative price change of -2.41%. Purchasing power increased by 2.41% in 1932 compared to 1931. On average, you would have to spend 2.41% less money in 1932 than in 1931 for the same item. This is an example of deflation.
This means that prices in 1932 are 2.41% lower than average prices since 1931, according to the Office for National Statistics composite price index.
The inflation rate in 1931 was -4.05%. The inflation rate in 1932 was -2.41%. The 1932 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 4.98% per year between 1932 and 2024.
Inflation rate is calculated by change in the composite price index (CPI). The CPI in 1932 was 16.20. It was 16.60 in the previous year, 1931. The difference in CPI between the years is used by the Office for National Statistics to officially determine inflation. Because the 1932 CPI is less than 1931 CPI, negative inflation (also known as deflation) has occurred.
⌃
| Average inflation rate | -2.41% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £0.98 |
| Price difference £1 base | £-0.02 |
| CPI in 1931 | 16.600 |
| CPI in 1932 | 16.200 |
| Inflation in 1931 | -4.05% |
| Inflation in 1932 | -2.41% |
| £1 in 1931 | £0.98 in 1932 |
How to calculate inflation rate for £1, 1931 to 1932
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1931 and 1932:
CPI in 1932 CPI in 1931
×
1931 GBP value
=
1932 GBP value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.K. CPI was 16.6 in the year 1931 and 16.2 in 1932:
16.216.6
×
£1
=
£0.98
£1 in 1931 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as £0.98 in 1932.
To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1931 and 1932, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1932 - CPI in 1931CPI in 1931
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (1 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
16.2 - 16.616.6
×
100
=
-2%
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 1932 | UK Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 8 Dec. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/UK-inflation-rate-in-1932.
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 | -2.41% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £0.98 |
| Price difference £1 base | £-0.02 |
| CPI in 1931 | 16.600 |
| CPI in 1932 | 16.200 |
| Inflation in 1931 | -4.05% |
| Inflation in 1932 | -2.41% |
| £1 in 1931 | £0.98 in 1932 |