UK Economic and Societal Data Visualization
Historical UK inflation data, rates, and multipliers from 1961 to 2024
Annual inflation rates from 1961 to present, showing the dramatic fluctuations through different economic eras. Note the peak of 24.2% in 1975 during the oil crisis and the recent spike to 9.1% in 2022 during the energy crisis.
1961-1987: Data measured using the Retail Price Index (RPI), which includes housing costs such as mortgage interest payments. Only RPI is shown for this period.
1988-2024: The official measure changed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the international standard that excludes most housing costs. This is the official measure used by the Bank of England for its 2% inflation target (established in 1997). Both CPI and RPI are now displayed from 1988 onwards to show the difference between the two measures.
Note: The chart displays both measures from 1988 to present, allowing you to compare them directly. CPI (blue solid line) typically runs 0.5-2% lower than RPI (orange dashed line). The difference varies by year due to different calculation methods, particularly regarding housing costs. RPI continues to be published and used for some purposes like index-linked bonds and rail fares.
This chart shows how £10,000 from different historical years would be worth in 2024. The dramatic difference between decades illustrates the cumulative effect of inflation.
Key Insight: The dramatic drop from left to right shows how cumulative inflation compounds over time. Money from the 1960s needs to grow by over 20× to maintain purchasing power, while recent years need minimal adjustment.
Post-war era
Oil crisis era
Recession period
Early 90s recession
Millennium
Austerity begins