Inflation Calculator
What was £1,000 in 2000 worth in today's money? This calculator uses the UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) published by the Office for National Statistics to translate amounts between any two years and reveal just how much purchasing power inflation has stripped out — or how much you need to earn today to match a salary of two decades ago.
How is this calculated?
The calculator uses CPI: present value = past amount × (CPI today ÷ CPI past). Where appropriate it also offers RPI, which historically runs roughly 0.7–1.0 percentage points higher and is still used for some legacy contracts and rail fares. For forward-looking projections it applies a constant assumed annual inflation rate using FV = PV × (1 + i)^n. ONS publishes monthly CPI updates on ons.gov.uk, and the Bank of England targets 2% CPI over the medium term.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between CPI and RPI?
CPI is the official measure used by the Bank of England and the government for setting the inflation target and uprating most benefits. RPI includes housing costs like mortgage interest and uses a different formula that systematically reads higher. The ONS no longer treats RPI as a national statistic but it lingers in older contracts.
Why does my personal inflation feel higher than CPI?
CPI is a basket of goods weighted by average national spending. If your spending skews towards categories rising faster than average — energy, food, rent, childcare — your lived inflation will outrun the headline figure. The opposite is true for households heavy on falling-price categories like consumer electronics.
How does inflation affect my savings?
Cash savings lose real value if the interest rate is below inflation. With CPI around 2% and easy-access accounts paying 4%–5% in 2026, real returns are positive. When inflation spiked above 10% in 2022–23, almost every cash saver was losing purchasing power even on the best-buy accounts.
What was £100 in 2000 worth in 2026?
Roughly £190, based on cumulative CPI. Put another way, £100 today buys about what £52 bought in 2000. Over the same period UK average earnings have roughly doubled in nominal terms but have only marginally outpaced prices in real terms.
Last updated: May 2026 · Rates sourced from HMRC