Value of £1 from 1830 to 1974
£1 in 1830 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £10.96 in 1974, an increase of £9.96 over 144 years. The pound had an average inflation rate of 1.68% per year between 1830 and 1974, producing a cumulative price increase of 995.96%.
This means that prices in 1974 are 10.96 times as high as average prices since 1830, according to the Office for National Statistics composite price index.
The inflation rate in 1830 was -3.88%. The inflation rate in 1974 was 16.04%. The 1974 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 5.21% per year between 1974 and 2025.
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 995.96% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.68% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £10.96 |
| Price difference £1 base | £9.96 |
| CPI in 1830 | 9.900 |
| CPI in 1974 | 108.500 |
| Inflation in 1830 | -3.88% |
| Inflation in 1974 | 16.04% |
| £1 in 1830 | £10.96 in 1974 |
Buying power of £1 in 1830
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for £1 in 1830 (price index tracking began in 1750).
For example, if you started with £1, you would need to end with £10.96 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When £1 is equivalent to £10.96 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single U.K. pound decreases over time. In other words, a pound will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a pound over time. By calculating the value in 1830 dollars, the chart below shows how £1 is worth less over 144 years.
According to the Office for National Statistics, each of these GBP amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1830 amounts in 1974 pounds, based on the 995.96% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| £1 pound in 1830 | £10.96 pounds in 1974 |
| £5 pounds in 1830 | £54.80 pounds in 1974 |
| £10 pounds in 1830 | £109.60 pounds in 1974 |
| £50 pounds in 1830 | £547.98 pounds in 1974 |
| £100 pounds in 1830 | £1,095.96 pounds in 1974 |
| £500 pounds in 1830 | £5,479.80 pounds in 1974 |
| £1,000 pounds in 1830 | £10,959.60 pounds in 1974 |
| £5,000 pounds in 1830 | £54,797.98 pounds in 1974 |
| £10,000 pounds in 1830 | £109,595.96 pounds in 1974 |
| £50,000 pounds in 1830 | £547,979.80 pounds in 1974 |
| £100,000 pounds in 1830 | £1,095,959.60 pounds in 1974 |
| £500,000 pounds in 1830 | £5,479,797.98 pounds in 1974 |
| £1,000,000 pounds in 1830 | £10,959,595.96 pounds in 1974 |
How to calculate inflation rate for £1, 1830 to 1974
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1830 and 1974:
CPI in 1974 CPI in 1830
×
1830 GBP value
=
1974 GBP value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.K. CPI was 9.9 in the year 1830 and 108.5 in 1974:
108.59.9
×
£1
=
£10.96
£1 in 1830 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as £10.96 in 1974.
To get the total inflation rate for the 144 years between 1830 and 1974, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1974 - CPI in 1830CPI in 1830
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (144 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
108.5 - 9.99.9
×
100
=
996%
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: “£1 in 1830 → 1974 | UK Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 19 Dec. 2025, https://www.officialdata.org/uk/inflation/1830?amount=1&endYear=1974.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 995.96% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.68% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £10.96 |
| Price difference £1 base | £9.96 |
| CPI in 1830 | 9.900 |
| CPI in 1974 | 108.500 |
| Inflation in 1830 | -3.88% |
| Inflation in 1974 | 16.04% |
| £1 in 1830 | £10.96 in 1974 |