Inflation in 1852 and its effect on dollar value
Purchasing power decreased by 0.00% in 1852 compared to 1851. On average, you would have to spend 0.00% more money in 1852 than in 1851 for the same item.
In other words, $1 in 1851 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1 in 1852.
The 1851 inflation rate was -1.28%. The inflation rate in 1852 was 0.00%. The 1852 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 2.12% per year between 1852 and 2020.
Inflation rate is calculated by change in the consumer price index (CPI). The CPI in 1852 was 7.70. It was 7.70 in the previous year, 1851. The difference in CPI between the years is used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to officially determine inflation.
Contents
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| Average inflation rate | 0.00% |
| Converted amount ($1 base) | $1 |
| Price difference ($1 base) | $0.00 |
| CPI in 1851 | 7.700 |
| CPI in 1852 | 7.700 |
| Inflation in 1851 | -1.28% |
| Inflation in 1852 | 0.00% |
Inflation by Country
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £1.00 in 1851 would be equivalent to £1.00 in 1852, an absolute change of £0.00 and a cumulative change of 0.00%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $0.00 and total percent change of 0.00%.
Inflation by Spending Category
CPI is the weighted combination of many categories of spending that are tracked by the government. Breaking down these categories helps explain the main drivers behind price changes. This chart shows the average rate of inflation for select CPI categories between 1851 and 1852.
Compare these values to the overall average of 0.00% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $1 in 1851 → 1852 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and beverages | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Housing | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Apparel | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Transportation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Medical care | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Recreation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Education and communication | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Other goods and services | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1851. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
How to Calculate Inflation Rate for $1, 1851 to 1852
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1851 and 1852:
CPI in 1852
CPI in 1851
×
1851 USD value
=
1852 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 7.7 in the year 1851 and 7.7 in 1852:
7.77.7
×
$1
=
$1
$1 in 1851 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1 in 1852.
To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1851 and 1852, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1852 - CPI in 1851CPI in 1851
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (1 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
7.7 - 7.77.7
×
100
=
0%
News headlines from 1851
Politics and news often influence economic performance. Here's what was happening at the time:
- Sojourner Truth addresses the first Black Women's Rights Convention.
- The sewing machine is patented by the American inventor Isaac Singer.
- California's Yosemite Valley is discovered.
Data Source & Citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI), established in 1913. Inflation data from 1665 to 1912 is sourced from a historical study conducted by political science professor Robert Sahr at Oregon State University.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “Inflation Rate in 1852 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 1 Dec. 2020, https://www.officialdata.org/inflation-rate-in-1852.
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 | 0.00% |
| Converted amount ($1 base) | $1 |
| Price difference ($1 base) | $0.00 |
| CPI in 1851 | 7.700 |
| CPI in 1852 | 7.700 |
| Inflation in 1851 | -1.28% |
| Inflation in 1852 | 0.00% |