U.S. inflation rate by year
Current inflation rate (12 months to August 2026)
3.4%
Full-year 2025: 2.6%. Highest ever: 18.0% in 1918.
Average inflation by decade
| Decade | Average per year |
|---|---|
| 1920s | -0.12% |
| 1930s | -2.05% |
| 1940s | 5.53% |
| 1950s | 2.03% |
| 1960s | 2.35% |
| 1970s | 7.06% |
| 1980s | 5.50% |
| 1990s | 3.00% |
| 2000s | 2.56% |
| 2010s | 1.77% |
| 2020s | 3.92% |
Every year
| Year | Inflation rate | Average CPI |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.6% | 321.943 |
| 2024 | 2.9% | 313.689 |
| 2023 | 4.1% | 304.702 |
| 2022 | 8.0% | 292.655 |
| 2021 | 4.7% | 270.970 |
| 2020 | 1.2% | 258.811 |
| 2019 | 1.8% | 255.657 |
| 2018 | 2.4% | 251.107 |
| 2017 | 2.1% | 245.120 |
| 2016 | 1.3% | 240.007 |
| 2015 | 0.1% | 237.017 |
| 2014 | 1.6% | 236.736 |
| 2013 | 1.5% | 232.957 |
| 2012 | 2.1% | 229.594 |
| 2011 | 3.2% | 224.939 |
| 2010 | 1.6% | 218.056 |
| 2009 | -0.4% | 214.537 |
| 2008 | 3.8% | 215.303 |
| 2007 | 2.8% | 207.342 |
| 2006 | 3.2% | 201.600 |
| 2005 | 3.4% | 195.300 |
| 2004 | 2.7% | 188.900 |
| 2003 | 2.3% | 184.000 |
| 2002 | 1.6% | 179.900 |
| 2001 | 2.8% | 177.100 |
| 2000 | 3.4% | 172.200 |
| 1999 | 2.2% | 166.600 |
| 1998 | 1.6% | 163.000 |
| 1997 | 2.3% | 160.500 |
| 1996 | 3.0% | 156.900 |
| 1995 | 2.8% | 152.400 |
| 1994 | 2.6% | 148.200 |
| 1993 | 3.0% | 144.500 |
| 1992 | 3.0% | 140.300 |
| 1991 | 4.2% | 136.200 |
| 1990 | 5.4% | 130.700 |
| 1989 | 4.8% | 124.000 |
| 1988 | 4.1% | 118.300 |
| 1987 | 3.6% | 113.600 |
| 1986 | 1.9% | 109.600 |
| 1985 | 3.6% | 107.600 |
| 1984 | 4.3% | 103.900 |
| 1983 | 3.2% | 99.600 |
| 1982 | 6.2% | 96.500 |
| 1981 | 10.3% | 90.900 |
| 1980 | 13.5% | 82.400 |
| 1979 | 11.3% | 72.600 |
| 1978 | 7.6% | 65.200 |
| 1977 | 6.5% | 60.600 |
| 1976 | 5.8% | 56.900 |
| 1975 | 9.1% | 53.800 |
| 1974 | 11.0% | 49.300 |
| 1973 | 6.2% | 44.400 |
| 1972 | 3.2% | 41.800 |
| 1971 | 4.4% | 40.500 |
| 1970 | 5.7% | 38.800 |
| 1969 | 5.5% | 36.700 |
| 1968 | 4.2% | 34.800 |
| 1967 | 3.1% | 33.400 |
| 1966 | 2.9% | 32.400 |
| 1965 | 1.6% | 31.500 |
| 1964 | 1.3% | 31.000 |
| 1963 | 1.3% | 30.600 |
| 1962 | 1.0% | 30.200 |
| 1961 | 1.0% | 29.900 |
| 1960 | 1.7% | 29.600 |
| 1959 | 0.7% | 29.100 |
| 1958 | 2.8% | 28.900 |
| 1957 | 3.3% | 28.100 |
| 1956 | 1.5% | 27.200 |
| 1955 | -0.4% | 26.800 |
| 1954 | 0.7% | 26.900 |
| 1953 | 0.8% | 26.700 |
| 1952 | 1.9% | 26.500 |
| 1951 | 7.9% | 26.000 |
| 1950 | 1.3% | 24.100 |
| 1949 | -1.2% | 23.800 |
| 1948 | 8.1% | 24.100 |
| 1947 | 14.4% | 22.300 |
| 1946 | 8.3% | 19.500 |
| 1945 | 2.3% | 18.000 |
| 1944 | 1.7% | 17.600 |
| 1943 | 6.1% | 17.300 |
| 1942 | 10.9% | 16.300 |
| 1941 | 5.0% | 14.700 |
| 1940 | 0.7% | 14.000 |
| 1939 | -1.4% | 13.900 |
| 1938 | -2.1% | 14.100 |
| 1937 | 3.6% | 14.400 |
| 1936 | 1.5% | 13.900 |
| 1935 | 2.2% | 13.700 |
| 1934 | 3.1% | 13.400 |
| 1933 | -5.1% | 13.000 |
| 1932 | -9.9% | 13.700 |
| 1931 | -9.0% | 15.200 |
| 1930 | -2.3% | 16.700 |
| 1929 | 0.0% | 17.100 |
| 1928 | -1.7% | 17.100 |
| 1927 | -1.7% | 17.400 |
| 1926 | 1.1% | 17.700 |
| 1925 | 2.3% | 17.500 |
| 1924 | 0.0% | 17.100 |
| 1923 | 1.8% | 17.100 |
| 1922 | -6.1% | 16.800 |
| 1921 | -10.5% | 17.900 |
| 1920 | 15.6% | 20.000 |
| 1919 | 14.6% | 17.300 |
| 1918 | 18.0% | 15.100 |
| 1917 | 17.4% | 12.800 |
| 1916 | 7.9% | 10.900 |
| 1915 | 1.0% | 10.100 |
| 1914 | 1.0% | 10.000 |
Questions
- What is the average inflation rate in the U.S.?
- Since 1913 U.S. prices have risen an average of 3.16% a year. Since 2000 the average is 2.53%.
- What year had the highest inflation?
- 1918, at 18.0%. Since 1980 the highest was 1980 at 13.5%.
- Has the U.S. had deflation?
- Yes. The biggest fall in prices was -10.5% in 1921, during the early Great Depression era. The most recent full year with falling prices was 2009.
- How is the yearly rate calculated?
- We compare the average CPI-U for each calendar year with the year before. Some sources use December-to-December changes instead, which can differ by a few tenths of a point.