There are two missions of this site. The first is to make available to the public the highest quality and most reliable historical data on important economic aggregates, with particular emphasis on nominal (current-price) measures, as well as real (constant-price) measures. The data presented here on the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, have been created using the highest standards of the fields of economics and history, and they were rigorously refereed by the most distinguished researchers in the fields. The second is to provide carefully designed comparators (using these data) that explain the many issues involved in making value comparisons over time.

The emphasis on nominal measures distinguishes this site.  This attention is important because to comprehend a past transaction or asset, one must begin with the contemporary value of the item. To make this valuation meaningful, it must be measured against the value of the appropriate economic indicator in that year.  To understand the valuation from another year's perspective, one must carry that measure forward against the changing value of the indicator. The essay Measures of Worth, the Tutorials, and the User Guide are all designed to help you make the best use of the site.

MeasuringWorth was founded in 2006 and is not incorporated or directly connected to any institution. You fund MeasuringWorth through your donations. If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact me.

Samuel H. Williamson
President and co-founder

Dan DeGreef - System Operator and Web Master
Jeffrey Moy - Adminstrative Assistant