How much did things cost in 1951?
These are prices of some sample items in 1951.
How much were these prices for someone on an average income in 1951? To get a feel for this, I have adjusted them for the increase in incomes from 1951 to today. You can see these adjusted prices in the column 'Income adjusted'.
| 1951 price | Income adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Gallon of petrol | 3s 3¾d | £18 |
| 20 cigarettes | 3s 7d | £19 |
| Gillette razor blades (10) | 2s 8d | £14 |
| Scroll Star ballpoint pen | 3s 6d | £19 |
| Loaf of bread (white, unwrapped) [*] | 6d | £2.70 |
| Loose leaf tea [*] 4oz | 11d | £4.90 |
| Sugar 1lb [*] | 6d | £2.70 |
| Pint of milk [*] | 5½d | £2.40 |
| Butter ½lb [*] | 1s 3d | £6.60 |
| Cheddar cheese 1lb [*] | 1s 2d | £6.20 |
| Margarine 1lb [*] | 1s 2d | £6.20 |
| Lard 1lb [*] | 1s 4d | £7.10 |
| Eggs 1 dozen [*] | 4s | £21 |
| Potatoes lb [*] | 2d | 89p |
| Cabbages lb [*] | 3d | £1.30 |
| Onions lb [*] | 5d | £2.20 |
| Oranges lb [*] | 10½d | £4.60 |
| Cocoa lb [*] | 3s 3d | £17 |
| Coal - 1cwt [*] | 4s 9½d | £25 |
| Pye 12" television | £71 | £7,600 |
| Regentone A30 console radio | 29 guineas | £3,200 |
| Qualcast push lawn mower | 79s 7d | £420 |
| The Daily Mirror newspaper | 1d to 1½d | 44p to 66p |
| Average house price | £2,000 | £210,000 |
| Austin A30 car | £507 | £54,000 |
| Hoover cylinder vacuum cleaner | £12 12s | £1,300 |
Prices are in pounds, shillings and pence.
Some shops priced more expensive items in guineas. A guinea is one pound and one shilling or £1.05.
The income adjusted prices are based on the Bank of England's Three Centuries Macroeconomic Dataset Version 2.3 - 30 June 2016. I have updated the income figures based on the ONS: Series code KAB9, adjusted to bring the figures inline with the Bank of England's.
For a comparison of prices in 1951 adjusted for inflation see Infation adjusted prices for 1951
References
[*] Data are derived from the Retail Prices Index from July 1947 to 2004
By Steven Braggs, December 2021, updated May 2022
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