The base year for the WCU2005 series is the year in which both the benchmark currency basket and the WCU are equal to US$1. Thus WCU2015 is worth US$1 in 2015. The unindexed benchmark basket is also worth US$1. The price index in 2015 is 1.

The WCU and the associated benchmark currency baskets are both reweighted every year with GDP data two years ago.

With inflation, WCU generally will be worth more in nominal terms, i.e., more than US$1 after the base year, and less than US$1 before the base year.