Value of £1 from 1840 to 2009
£1 in 1840 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £75.95 in 2009, an increase of £74.95 over 169 years. The pound had an average inflation rate of 2.60% per year between 1840 and 2009, producing a cumulative price increase of 7,494.59%.
This means that prices in 2009 are 75.95 times as high as average prices since 1840, according to the Office for National Statistics composite price index.
The inflation rate in 1840 was 1.83%. The inflation rate in 2009 was -0.53%. The 2009 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 3.43% per year between 2009 and 2025.
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 7,494.59% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.60% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £75.95 |
| Price difference £1 base | £74.95 |
| CPI in 1840 | 11.100 |
| CPI in 2009 | 843.000 |
| Inflation in 1840 | 1.83% |
| Inflation in 2009 | -0.53% |
| £1 in 1840 | £75.95 in 2009 |
Buying power of £1 in 1840
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for £1 in 1840 (price index tracking began in 1750).
For example, if you started with £1, you would need to end with £75.95 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When £1 is equivalent to £75.95 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 1840 dollars, the chart below shows how £1 is worth less over 169 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 1840 amounts in 2009 pounds, based on the 7,494.59% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| £1 pound in 1840 | £75.95 pounds in 2009 |
| £5 pounds in 1840 | £379.73 pounds in 2009 |
| £10 pounds in 1840 | £759.46 pounds in 2009 |
| £50 pounds in 1840 | £3,797.30 pounds in 2009 |
| £100 pounds in 1840 | £7,594.59 pounds in 2009 |
| £500 pounds in 1840 | £37,972.97 pounds in 2009 |
| £1,000 pounds in 1840 | £75,945.95 pounds in 2009 |
| £5,000 pounds in 1840 | £379,729.73 pounds in 2009 |
| £10,000 pounds in 1840 | £759,459.46 pounds in 2009 |
| £50,000 pounds in 1840 | £3,797,297.30 pounds in 2009 |
| £100,000 pounds in 1840 | £7,594,594.59 pounds in 2009 |
| £500,000 pounds in 1840 | £37,972,972.97 pounds in 2009 |
| £1,000,000 pounds in 1840 | £75,945,945.95 pounds in 2009 |
How to calculate inflation rate for £1, 1840 to 2009
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1840 and 2009:
CPI in 2009 CPI in 1840
×
1840 GBP value
=
2009 GBP value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.K. CPI was 11.1 in the year 1840 and 843 in 2009:
84311.1
×
£1
=
£75.95
£1 in 1840 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as £75.95 in 2009.
To get the total inflation rate for the 169 years between 1840 and 2009, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2009 - CPI in 1840CPI in 1840
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (169 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
843 - 11.111.1
×
100
=
7,495%
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 1840 → 2009 | UK Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 10 Dec. 2025, https://www.officialdata.org/uk/inflation/1840?amount=1&endYear=2009.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 7,494.59% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.60% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £75.95 |
| Price difference £1 base | £74.95 |
| CPI in 1840 | 11.100 |
| CPI in 2009 | 843.000 |
| Inflation in 1840 | 1.83% |
| Inflation in 2009 | -0.53% |
| £1 in 1840 | £75.95 in 2009 |