Year by year, in 2025 prices
| Year | £1 | 1 shilling | 1 penny | £100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | £48.14 | £2.41 | £0.20 | £4,814 |
| 1951 | £44.13 | £2.21 | £0.18 | £4,413 |
| 1952 | £40.42 | £2.02 | £0.17 | £4,042 |
| 1953 | £39.22 | £1.96 | £0.16 | £3,922 |
| 1954 | £38.46 | £1.92 | £0.16 | £3,846 |
| 1955 | £36.86 | £1.84 | £0.15 | £3,686 |
| 1956 | £35.07 | £1.75 | £0.15 | £3,507 |
| 1957 | £33.87 | £1.69 | £0.14 | £3,387 |
| 1958 | £32.82 | £1.64 | £0.14 | £3,282 |
| 1959 | £32.69 | £1.63 | £0.14 | £3,269 |
Money in the 1950s
Rationing finally ended in 1954. Prices rose steadily but gently, and in 1957 Harold Macmillan told Britons they had “never had it so good”.
Prices rose about 47% between 1950 and 1959. These figures compare the cost of everyday goods and services. Wages, house prices and the size of the economy all grew at different rates, so a 1950s salary or fortune would look bigger still if compared with what people earn or own today.
Source: Office for National Statistics composite price index (CDKO), Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are rounded.
Other decades: 1800s · 1810s · 1820s · 1830s · 1840s · 1850s · 1860s · 1870s · 1880s · 1890s · 1900s · 1910s · 1920s · 1930s · 1940s · 1950s · 1960s · 1970s
Common questions
How much was £1 in 1950 worth today?
About £48.14 in 2025 prices, based on the ONS composite price index.
How much was £1 in 1955 worth today?
About £36.86 in 2025 prices.
How much was a shilling in 1955 worth today?
About £1.84. A shilling was 1/20 of a pound, or 5p in decimal money.