Data Sources
All data used by RealWorth is derived from peer-reviewed academic research, government statistical agencies, and reputable economic history databases. See our Methodology page for how we use this data.
🇺🇸 USA
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. Series CUUR0000SA0.
Wholesale Price Index, rescaled to CPI-U equivalence by Officer & Williamson via MeasuringWorth.com.
Wage and employment series. St. Louis Federal Reserve.
Gasoline and diesel retail price series.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Broadberry, Campbell, Klein, Overton & van Leeuwen (2015). A Millennium of Macroeconomic Data. v3.1.
Office for National Statistics. Consumer Price Index and Retail Price Index historical series.
Clark, G. (2005). The condition of the working class in England, 1209–2004. Journal of Political Economy, 113(6).
🇩🇪 Germany
🇫🇷 France
🇯🇵 Japan
🏛️ Roman Empire
Temin, P. (2001). A Market Economy in the Early Roman Empire. Journal of Roman Studies, 91.
Ward-Perkins, B. (2005). The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization. Oxford University Press.
Stanford University. Economic geography of the Roman world.
Primary source for late Roman commodity prices.
🌍 Cross-Country
Officer & Williamson. Multi-country historical price and wage series. Widely cited in academic economics.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Harmonised CPI series.
Income distribution and poverty data for wealth percentile calculations.
Note on accuracy: Despite using primary sources, all historical data involves interpretation, estimation, and reconstruction. Pre-industrial economic data is especially uncertain. For academic or professional use, always consult primary sources directly. If you spot an error or have a better data source, please contact us at realworth.contact@gmail.com.