Discounting and inflation

A6.24 Discounting is solely concerned with adjusting for social time preference and has nothing to do with adjusting for inflation. The recommended Green Book discount rate applies to real values, with the effects of general inflation already removed. To promote transparency the best practice approach is to first convert costs or benefits to a real price basis, and then perform the discounting adjustment. The inflation rate and discount rate should not be added and applied to costs and benefits, as it gives an arithmetically incorrect result.

Table 9. Standard Discount Rates and Associated Discount Factors

Year

Discount Rate

Discount

Year

Discount

Rate

0

 

1

31

3.000%

0.3459

1

3.500%

0.9662

32

3.000%

0.3358

2

3.500%

0.9335

33

3.000%

0.3260

3

3.500%

0.9019

34

3.000%

0.3165

4

3.500%

0.8714

35

3.000%

0.3073

5

3.500%

0.8420

36

3.000%

0.2984

6

3.500%

0.8135

37

3.000%

0.2897

7

3.500%

0.7860

38

3.000%

0.2812

8

3.500%

0.7594

39

3.000%

0.2731

9

3.500%

0.7337

40

3.000%

0.2651

10

3.500%

0.7089

41

3.000%

0.2574

11

3.500%

0.6849

42

3.000%

0.2499

12

3.500%

0.6618

43

3.000%

0.2426

13

3.500%

0.6394

44

3.000%

0.2355

14

3.500%

0.6178

45

3.000%

0.2287

15

3.500%

0.5969

46

3.000%

0.2220

16

3.500%

0.5767

47

3.000%

0.2156

17

3.500%

0.5572

48

3.000%

0.2093

18

3.500%

0.5384

49

3.000%

0.2032

19

3.500%

0.5202

50

3.000%

0.1973

20

3.500%

0.5026

51

3.000%

0.1915

21

3.500%

0.4856

52

3.000%

0.1859

22

3.500%

0.4692

53

3.000%

0.1805

23

3.500%

0.4533

54

3.000%

0.1753

24

3.500%

0.4380

55

3.000%

0.1702

25

3.500%

0.4231

56

3.000%

0.1652

26

3.500%

0.4088

57

3.000%

0.1604

27

3.500%

0.3950

58

3.000%

0.1557

28

3.500%

0.3817

59

3.000%

0.1512

29

3.500%

0.3687

60

3.000%

0.1468

30

3.500%

0.3563

61

3.000%

0.1425

Table 10. Health Discount Rates and Associated Discount Factors

Year

Health Discount Rate

Health Discount Factor

Year

Health Discount Rate

Health Discount Factor

0

 

1

31

1.286%

0.6316

1

1.500%

0.9852

32

1.286%

0.6236

2

1.500%

0.9707

33

1.286%

0.6157

3

1.500%

0.9563

34

1.286%

0.6079

4

1.500%

0.9422

35

1.286%

0.6002

5

1.500%

0.9283

36

1.286%

0.5926

6

1.500%

0.9145

37

1.286%

0.5850

7

1.500%

0.9010

38

1.286%

0.5776

8

1.500%

0.8877

39

1.286%

0.5703

9

1.500%

0.8746

40

1.286%

0.5630

10

1.500%

0.8617

41

1.286%

0.5559

11

1.500%

0.8489

42

1.286%

0.5488

12

1.500%

0.8364

43

1.286%

0.5419

13

1.500%

0.8240

44

1.286%

0.5350

14

1.500%

0.8118

45

1.286%

0.5282

15

1.500%

0.7999

46

1.286%

0.5215

16

1.500%

0.7880

47

1.286%

0.5149

17

1.500%

0.7764

48

1.286%

0.5083

18

1.500%

0.7649

49

1.286%

0.5019

19

1.500%

0.7536

50

1.286%

0.4955

20

1.500%

0.7425

51

1.286%

0.4892

21

1.500%

0.7315

52

1.286%

0.4830

22

1.500%

0.7207

53

1.286%

0.4769

23

1.500%

0.7100

54

1.286%

0.4708

24

1.500%

0.6995

55

1.286%

0.4649

25

1.500%

0.6892

56

1.286%

0.4590

26

1.500%

0.6790

57

1.286%

0.4531

27

1.500%

0.6690

58

1.286%

0.4474

28

1.500%

0.6591

59

1.286%

0.4417

29

1.500%

0.6494

60

1.286%

0.4361

30

1.500%

0.6398

61

1.286%

0.4306