Purchasing power over time
Pick a country and a past year, enter an amount, and see what it is worth in the latest year's money, plus the cumulative inflation in between.
€1,000 (2018) has the same buying power as €1,268 (2025).
The reverse: €1,000 (2025) buys what €788 bought back in 2018.
Cumulative price change 2018 to 2025: +26.8% (HICP, all items).
Source: Eurostat HICP annual index, all items. Conversions use the ratio of annual index values; your personal inflation may differ.
How past and present money are compared
This calculator restates an amount from one year in the prices of another year using the selected country's annual all-items HICP series. It answers a purchasing-power question; it does not calculate investment returns or currency appreciation.
Formula and example
Forward value equals the original amount multiplied by the latest-year index divided by the selected-year index. If the index moves from 100 to 125, €1,000 in the earlier year's prices corresponds to €1,250 in the later year's prices. In reverse, €1,000 in later prices corresponds to €800 in the earlier prices.
Using the ratio of index levels is important because inflation compounds. The cumulative percentage shown by the tool is the change between those two index observations, not the sum of annual inflation rates printed elsewhere.
Reading the estimate
The result describes the broad amount needed to buy an equivalent national consumer basket. It can help put an old salary, price or savings target into current-price context, provided both years have published observations.
Important limitations
- HICP measures a representative national basket, while your own rent, mortgage and consumption mix may move differently.
- It does not account for interest, investment growth, taxes or changes in product quality.
- The latest year is the latest complete observation bundled by PayScope, not a real-time nowcast.
Primary source: Eurostat HICP annual data (prc_hicp_aind).
Frequently asked questions
What index is used?
Eurostat's Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP, all items). The conversion multiplies your amount by the ratio of the latest annual index to the index of the year you picked.
Why do the years on offer differ by country?
The tool only offers years present in the country's published HICP series, so the calculation never extrapolates beyond real data.
Does this reflect my personal inflation?
No. HICP tracks an average consumption basket. If you spend more on housing or energy than the average household, your personal price change can differ.