Value of £1 from 1855 to 1941
£1 in 1855 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £2.13 in 1941, an increase of £1.13 over 86 years. The pound had an average inflation rate of 0.88% per year between 1855 and 1941, producing a cumulative price increase of 113.33%.
This means that prices in 1941 are 2.13 times as high as average prices since 1855, according to the Office for National Statistics composite price index.
The inflation rate in 1855 was 2.94%. The inflation rate in 1941 was 10.89%. The 1941 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 5.09% per year between 1941 and 2025.
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| Cumulative price change | 113.33% |
| Average inflation rate | 0.88% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £2.13 |
| Price difference £1 base | £1.13 |
| CPI in 1855 | 10.500 |
| CPI in 1941 | 22.400 |
| Inflation in 1855 | 2.94% |
| Inflation in 1941 | 10.89% |
| £1 in 1855 | £2.13 in 1941 |
Buying power of £1 in 1855
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for £1 in 1855 (price index tracking began in 1750).
For example, if you started with £1, you would need to end with £2.13 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When £1 is equivalent to £2.13 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 1855 dollars, the chart below shows how £1 is worth less over 86 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 1855 amounts in 1941 pounds, based on the 113.33% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| £1 pound in 1855 | £2.13 pounds in 1941 |
| £5 pounds in 1855 | £10.67 pounds in 1941 |
| £10 pounds in 1855 | £21.33 pounds in 1941 |
| £50 pounds in 1855 | £106.67 pounds in 1941 |
| £100 pounds in 1855 | £213.33 pounds in 1941 |
| £500 pounds in 1855 | £1,066.67 pounds in 1941 |
| £1,000 pounds in 1855 | £2,133.33 pounds in 1941 |
| £5,000 pounds in 1855 | £10,666.67 pounds in 1941 |
| £10,000 pounds in 1855 | £21,333.33 pounds in 1941 |
| £50,000 pounds in 1855 | £106,666.67 pounds in 1941 |
| £100,000 pounds in 1855 | £213,333.33 pounds in 1941 |
| £500,000 pounds in 1855 | £1,066,666.67 pounds in 1941 |
| £1,000,000 pounds in 1855 | £2,133,333.33 pounds in 1941 |
How to calculate inflation rate for £1, 1855 to 1941
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1855 and 1941:
CPI in 1941 CPI in 1855
×
1855 GBP value
=
1941 GBP value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.K. CPI was 10.5 in the year 1855 and 22.4 in 1941:
22.410.5
×
£1
=
£2.13
£1 in 1855 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as £2.13 in 1941.
To get the total inflation rate for the 86 years between 1855 and 1941, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1941 - CPI in 1855CPI in 1855
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (86 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
22.4 - 10.510.5
×
100
=
113%
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 1855 → 1941 | UK Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 27 Aug. 2025, https://www.officialdata.org/uk/inflation/1855?amount=1&endYear=1941.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 113.33% |
| Average inflation rate | 0.88% |
| Converted amount £1 base | £2.13 |
| Price difference £1 base | £1.13 |
| CPI in 1855 | 10.500 |
| CPI in 1941 | 22.400 |
| Inflation in 1855 | 2.94% |
| Inflation in 1941 | 10.89% |
| £1 in 1855 | £2.13 in 1941 |
