UK Composite Price Index values since 1750

by Ian Webster

Calculating inflation in the United Kingdom can be tricky because the Consumer Price Index was only established here in 1988. Most other countries started tracking their Consumer Price Index in the early 1900s.

As a result, we don't have a single measure of UK inflation from before 1988.

The British government has solved this problem by creating a "Composite Price Index", which combines a handful of inflation measures, both formal and informal, over time. The Office for National Statistics publicly releases Composite Price Index data to enable UK inflation calculators.

This data table below displays the Composite Price Index for the UK, from 1750 to the current date. If you want strictly Consumer Price Index data, go to this Office for National Statistics page.

Year Annual CPI Average Annual Percent Change
(rate of inflation)
1751 5 -1.96
1752 5.2 4.00
1753 5.1 -1.92
1754 5.3 3.92
1755 5 -5.66
1756 5.2 4.00
1757 6.3 21.15
1758 6.3 0.00
1759 5.8 -7.94
1760 5.6 -3.45
1761 5.3 -5.36
1762 5.5 3.77
1763 5.7 3.64
1764 6.2 8.77
1765 6.4 3.23
1766 6.5 1.56
1767 6.8 4.62
1768 6.7 -1.47
1769 6.2 -7.46
1770 6.2 0.00
1771 6.7 8.06
1772 7.4 10.45
1773 7.4 0.00
1774 7.5 1.35
1775 7 -6.67
1776 6.9 -1.43
1777 6.9 0.00
1778 7.1 2.90
1779 6.5 -8.45
1780 6.3 -3.08
1781 6.6 4.76
1782 6.7 1.52
1783 7.5 11.94
1784 7.6 1.33
1785 7.2 -5.26
1786 7.2 0.00
1787 7.2 0.00
1788 7.5 4.17
1789 7.4 -1.33
1790 7.5 1.35
1791 7.5 0.00
1792 7.6 1.33
1793 7.8 2.63
1794 8.5 8.97
1795 9.4 10.59
1796 10 6.38
1797 9 -10.00
1798 8.8 -2.22
1799 9.9 12.50
1800 13.5 36.36
1801 15.1 11.85
1802 11.6 -23.18
1803 11 -5.17
1804 11.3 2.73
1805 13.1 15.93
1806 12.6 -3.82
1807 12.3 -2.38
1808 12.8 4.07
1809 14 9.38
1810 14.4 2.86
1811 14 -2.78
1812 15.9 13.57
1813 16.3 2.52
1814 14.2 -12.88
1815 12.7 -10.56
1816 11.6 -8.66
1817 13.2 13.79
1818 13.2 0.00
1819 12.9 -2.27
1820 11.7 -9.30
1821 10.3 -11.97
1822 8.9 -13.59
1823 9.5 6.74
1824 10.3 8.42
1825 12.1 17.48
1826 11.4 -5.79
1827 10.7 -6.14
1828 10.4 -2.80
1829 10.3 -0.96
1830 9.9 -3.88
1831 10.9 10.10
1832 10.1 -7.34
1833 9.5 -5.94
1834 8.7 -8.42
1835 8.9 2.30
1836 9.9 11.24
1837 10.1 2.02
1838 10.2 0.99
1839 10.9 6.86
1840 11.1 1.83
1841 10.9 -1.80
1842 10 -8.26
1843 8.9 -11.00
1844 8.9 0.00
1845 9.3 4.49
1846 9.7 4.30
1847 10.9 12.37
1848 9.5 -12.84
1849 8.9 -6.32
1850 8.4 -5.62
1851 8.1 -3.57
1852 8.1 0.00
1853 8.9 9.88
1854 10.2 14.61
1855 10.5 2.94
1856 10.5 0.00
1857 10 -4.76
1858 9.1 -9.00
1859 9 -1.10
1860 9.3 3.33
1861 9.5 2.15
1862 9.3 -2.11
1863 9 -3.23
1864 8.9 -1.11
1865 9 1.12
1866 9.5 5.56
1867 10.1 6.32
1868 10 -0.99
1869 9.5 -5.00
1870 9.5 0.00
1871 9.6 1.05
1872 10 4.17
1873 10.4 4.00
1874 10 -3.85
1875 9.8 -2.00
1876 9.8 0.00
1877 9.7 -1.02
1878 9.5 -2.06
1879 9.1 -4.21
1880 9.4 3.30
1881 9.3 -1.06
1882 9.4 1.08
1883 9.3 -1.06
1884 9.1 -2.15
1885 8.8 -3.30
1886 8.7 -1.14
1887 8.6 -1.15
1888 8.7 1.16
1889 8.8 1.15
1890 8.8 0.00
1891 8.9 1.14
1892 8.9 0.00
1893 8.8 -1.12
1894 8.7 -1.14
1895 8.6 -1.15
1896 8.5 -1.16
1897 8.7 2.35
1898 8.7 0.00
1899 8.8 1.15
1900 9.2 4.55
1901 9.2 0.00
1902 9.2 0.00
1903 9.3 1.09
1904 9.3 0.00
1905 9.3 0.00
1906 9.3 0.00
1907 9.4 1.08
1908 9.4 0.00
1909 9.5 1.06
1910 9.6 1.05
1911 9.6 0.00
1912 9.9 3.13
1913 9.8 -1.01
1914 9.8 0.00
1915 11 12.24
1916 13 18.18
1917 16.3 25.38
1918 19.9 22.09
1919 21.9 10.05
1920 25.3 15.53
1921 23.1 -8.70
1922 19.9 -13.85
1923 18.7 -6.03
1924 18.6 -0.53
1925 18.6 0.00
1926 18.5 -0.54
1927 18 -2.70
1928 18 0.00
1929 17.8 -1.11
1930 17.3 -2.81
1931 16.6 -4.05
1932 16.2 -2.41
1933 15.8 -2.47
1934 15.8 0.00
1935 15.9 0.63
1936 16 0.63
1937 16.6 3.75
1938 16.8 1.20
1939 17.3 2.98
1940 20.2 16.76
1941 22.4 10.89
1942 24 7.14
1943 24.8 3.33
1944 25.5 2.82
1945 26.2 2.75
1946 27 3.05
1947 28.9 7.04
1948 31.1 7.61
1949 32 2.89
1950 33 3.13
1951 36 9.09
1952 39.3 9.17
1953 40.5 3.05
1954 41.3 1.98
1955 43.1 4.36
1956 45.3 5.10
1957 46.9 3.53
1958 48.4 3.20
1959 48.6 0.41
1960 49.1 1.03
1961 50.8 3.46
1962 53 4.33
1963 54 1.89
1964 55.8 3.33
1965 58.4 4.66
1966 60.7 3.94
1967 62.3 2.64
1968 65.2 4.65
1969 68.7 5.37
1970 73.1 6.40
1971 80 9.44
1972 85.7 7.13
1973 93.5 9.10
1974 108.5 16.04
1975 134.8 24.24
1976 157.1 16.54
1977 182 15.85
1978 197.1 8.30
1979 223.5 13.39
1980 263.7 17.99
1981 295 11.87
1982 320.4 8.61
1983 335.1 4.59
1984 351.8 4.98
1985 373.2 6.08
1986 385.9 3.40
1987 402 4.17
1988 421.7 4.90
1989 454.5 7.78
1990 497.5 9.46
1991 526.7 5.87
1992 546.4 3.74
1993 555.1 1.59
1994 568.5 2.41
1995 588.2 3.47
1996 602.4 2.41
1997 621.3 3.14
1998 642.6 3.43
1999 652.5 1.54
2000 671.8 2.96
2001 683.7 1.77
2002 695.1 1.67
2003 715.2 2.89
2004 736.5 2.98
2005 757.3 2.82
2006 781.5 3.20
2007 815 4.29
2008 847.5 3.99
2009 843 -0.53
2010 881.9 4.61
2011 927.8 5.20
2012 957.6 3.21
2013 986.7 3.04
2014 1010 2.36
2015 1020 0.99
2016 1026.02727273* 0.59*
  • Full data for 2016 is still pending.