Cell phone service inflation
Cell phone service prices since 2000
Down 37%
An average of -1.77% a year, compared with 95% for all U.S. prices (overall CPI). $100 of 2000 cell phone service costs $62.64 in August 2026.
Last 12 months (to August 2026)
3.2%
All U.S. prices, same period
3.4%
Data since
1998
How much cell phone service prices have risen
| Since | Cell phone service | All U.S. prices | $100 then costs now |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | -37% | +95% | $62.64 |
| 2010 | -24% | +54% | $76.30 |
| 2020 | +1% | +29% | $100.59 |
Calculate cell phone service inflation
Inflation rate by year
Every year since 1998
| Year | Index | Change | $1 then costs now |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 46.5 | -1.2% | $1.02 |
| 2024 | 47.1 | -1.5% | $1.01 |
| 2023 | 47.8 | -0.3% | $1.00 |
| 2022 | 47.9 | -0.5% | $0.99 |
| 2021 | 48.2 | 1.7% | $0.99 |
| 2020 | 47.3 | 2.0% | $1.01 |
| 2019 | 46.4 | -2.5% | $1.03 |
| 2018 | 47.6 | -2.5% | $1.00 |
| 2017 | 48.8 | -10.7% | $0.97 |
| 2016 | 54.7 | -1.0% | $0.87 |
| 2015 | 55.2 | -3.8% | $0.86 |
| 2014 | 57.4 | -2.1% | $0.83 |
| 2013 | 58.6 | -1.8% | $0.81 |
| 2012 | 59.7 | -0.8% | $0.80 |
| 2011 | 60.1 | -3.6% | $0.79 |
| 2010 | 62.4 | -2.9% | $0.76 |
| 2009 | 64.3 | 0.0% | $0.74 |
| 2008 | 64.2 | -0.2% | $0.74 |
| 2007 | 64.4 | -0.3% | $0.74 |
| 2006 | 64.6 | -0.6% | $0.74 |
| 2005 | 65.0 | -1.8% | $0.73 |
| 2004 | 66.2 | -0.9% | $0.72 |
| 2003 | 66.8 | -0.9% | $0.71 |
| 2002 | 67.4 | -1.0% | $0.71 |
| 2001 | 68.1 | -10.4% | $0.70 |
| 2000 | 76.0 | -10.5% | $0.63 |
| 1999 | 84.9 | -10.7% | $0.56 |
| 1998 | 95.1 | $0.50 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U series CUUR0000SEED03, not seasonally adjusted. Index values are relative (only the changes matter), so they can't be compared across categories.
Questions
- How much have cell phone service prices gone up since 2000?
- Cell phone service prices fell 37% from 2000 to August 2026, slower than overall prices (95%).
- What is the inflation rate for cell phone service right now?
- Cell phone service prices were 3.2% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier.
- What did $100 of cell phone service in 2000 cost in August 2026?
- $62.64.
- Where does this data come from?
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics price index for cell phone service (series CUUR0000SEED03), part of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. It tracks price changes for the same kind of item over time, not average prices.