In economics, the inflation rate is a measure of the change in price of a basket of goods. The most common measure being the consumer price index. It is the percentage rate of change in price level over time, and also indicates the rate of decrease in the purchasing power of money. The annual rate of inflation for 2023, was 4.1 percent higher in the United States when compared to the previous year. More information on inflation and the consumer price index can be found on our dedicated topic page. Additionally, the monthly rate of inflation in the United States can be accessed here. Inflation and purchasing power Inflation is a key economic indicator, and gives economists and consumers alike a look at changes in prices in the wider economy. For example, if an average pair of socks costs 100 dollars one year and 105 dollars the following year, the inflation rate is five percent. This means the amount of goods an individual can purchase with a unit of currency has decreased. This concept is often referred to as purchasing power. The data presents the average rate of inflation in a year, whereas the monthly measure of inflation measures the change in prices compared with prices one year ago. For example, monthly inflation in the U.S. reached a peak in June 2022 at 9.1 percent. This means that prices were 9.1 percent higher than they were in June of 2021. The purchasing power is the extent to which a person has available funds to make purchases. The Big Mac Index has been published by The Economist since 1986 and exemplifies purchasing power on a global scale, allowing us to see note the differences between different countries currencies. Switzerland for example, has the most expensive Big Mac in the world, costing consumers 6.71 U.S. dollars as of July 2022, whereas a Big Mac cost 5.15 dollars in the United States, and 4.77 dollars in the Euro area. One of the most important tools in influencing the rate of inflation is interest rates. The Federal Reserve of the United States has the capacity to make changes to the federal interest rate . Changes to the rate of inflation are thought to be an imbalance between supply and demand. After COVID-19 related lockdowns came to an end there was a sudden increase in demand for goods and services with consumers having more funds than usual thanks to reduced spending during lockdown and government funded economic support. Additionally, supply-chain related bottlenecks also due to lockdowns around the world and the Russian invasion of Ukraine meant that there was a decrease in the supply of goods and services. By increasing the interest rate, the Federal Reserve aims to reduce spending, and thus bring demand back into balance with supply.

Graph and download economic data for Inflation, consumer prices for the United States (FPCPITOTLZGUSA) from 1960 to 2024 about consumer, CPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

In 2023, the U.S. Consumer Price Index was 309.42, and is projected to increase to 352.27 by 2029. The base period was 1982-84. The monthly CPI for all urban consumers in the U.S. can be accessed here. After a time of high inflation, the U.S. inflation rateis projected fall to two percent by 2027. United States Consumer Price Index ForecastIt is projected that the CPI will continue to rise year over year, reaching 325.6 in 2027. The Consumer Price Index of all urban consumers in previous years was lower, and has risen every year since 1992, except in 2009, when the CPI went from 215.30 in 2008 to 214.54 in 2009. The monthly unadjusted Consumer Price Index was 296.17 for the month of August in 2022. The U.S. CPI measures changes in the price of consumer goods and services purchased by households and is thought to reflect inflation in the U.S. as well as the health of the economy. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the CPI and defines it as, "a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services." The BLS records the price of thousands of goods and services month by month. They consider goods and services within eight main categories: food and beverage, housing, apparel, transportation, medical care, recreation, education, and other goods and services. They aggregate the data collected in order to compare how much it would cost a consumer to buy the same market basket of goods and services within one month or one year compared with the previous month or year. Given that the CPI is used to calculate U.S. inflation, the CPI influences the annual adjustments of many financial institutions in the United States, both private and public. Wages, social security payments, and pensions are all affected by the CPI.

Inflation Rate in Zimbabwe decreased to 93.80 percent in August from 95.80 percent in July of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Zimbabwe Inflation Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Inflation is generally defined as the continued increase in the average prices of goods and services in a given region. Following the extremely high global inflation experienced in the 1980s and 1990s, global inflation has been relatively stable since the turn of the millennium, usually hovering between three and five percent per year. There was a sharp increase in 2008 due to the global financial crisis now known as the Great Recession, but inflation was fairly stable throughout the 2010s, before the current inflation crisis began in 2021. Recent years Despite the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the global inflation rate fell to 3.26 percent in the pandemic's first year, before rising to 4.66 percent in 2021. This increase came as the impact of supply chain delays began to take more of an effect on consumer prices, before the Russia-Ukraine war exacerbated this further. A series of compounding issues such as rising energy and food prices, fiscal instability in the wake of the pandemic, and consumer insecurity have created a new global recession, and global inflation in 2024 is estimated to have reached 5.76 percent. This is the highest annual increase in inflation since 1996. Venezuela Venezuela is the country with the highest individual inflation rate in the world, forecast at around 200 percent in 2022. While this is figure is over 100 times larger than the global average in most years, it actually marks a decrease in Venezuela's inflation rate, which had peaked at over 65,000 percent in 2018. Between 2016 and 2021, Venezuela experienced hyperinflation due to the government's excessive spending and printing of money in an attempt to curve its already-high inflation rate, and the wave of migrants that left the country resulted in one of the largest refugee crises in recent years. In addition to its economic problems, political instability and foreign sanctions pose further long-term problems for Venezuela. While hyperinflation may be coming to an end, it remains to be seen how much of an impact this will have on the economy, how living standards will change, and how many refugees may return in the coming years.

Historical dataset showing Lebanon inflation rate by year from 2009 to 2023.

The Consumer Price Index in Rwanda increased 0.70 percent in August of 2025 over the previous month. This dataset provides - Rwanda Inflation Rate MoM- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The Consumer Price Index in Hungary decreased 0 percent in August of 2025 over the previous month. This dataset provides - Hungary Inflation Rate MoM - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Historical dataset showing South Sudan inflation rate by year from 2009 to 2023.

Inflation rates of Red Sea sank by 44.08% from 15 index, 2007=100 in 2008 to 9 index, 2007=100 in 2009. Since the 44.08% slump in 2009, inflation rates remained stable by 0.00% in 2009.

In 2022, the harmonized inflation rate in the Netherlands increased by 8.8 percentage points. Of the three Benelux countries, the Netherlands saw the highest inflation. In 2020, the harmonized inflation rate was 0.4 percent in Belgium. Inflation in Luxembourg was zero.

 HCIP forecast  

In the next three years, the harmonized inflation rate in the Netherlands was forecast to be between 1.4 and 2.6 percent annually. According to the European Commission forecast, the inflation rate would peak in 2019, before slightly decreasing again the next years.

Inflation in the Caribbean  

In the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, inflation was considerably lower than on the European mainland. Although the inflation rate in Curaçao was 2.6 percent in 2018, in 2015 and 2016 inflation had been -0.5 and 0 percent respectively. In Sint Maarten, the inflation rate reached 0.1 percent in 2016. Finally, Aruba had negative inflation for two consecutive years in a row before increasing to 3.6 percent in 2018.

Producer Price Inflation MoM in the United States decreased to -0.10 percent in August from 0.70 percent in July of 2025. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for the United States Producer Price Inflation MoM.

Historical dataset showing Venezuela inflation rate by year from 2009 to 2016.

The Consumer Price Index in Burkina Faso increased 0.10 percent in July of 2025 over the previous month. This dataset provides - Burkina Faso Inflation Rate MoM- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Japan: Inflation: percent change in the Consumer Price Index: The latest value from 2024 is 2.7 percent, a decline from 3.3 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 6.0 percent, based on data from 155 countries. Historically, the average for Japan from 1960 to 2024 is 2.9 percent. The minimum value, -1.4 percent, was reached in 2009 while the maximum of 23.2 percent was recorded in 1974.

Inflation rates of Blue Nile sank by 27.01% from 14 index, 2007=100 in 2008 to 10 index, 2007=100 in 2009. Since the 27.01% slump in 2009, inflation rates remained stable by 0.00% in 2009.

Inflation rates of Sennar State sank by 54.74% from 19 index, 2007=100 in 2008 to 9 index, 2007=100 in 2009. Since the 54.74% slump in 2009, inflation rates remained stable by 0.00% in 2009.

Romania's consumer price index (CPI) reached 105.59 in 2024, indicating an inflation rate of roughly 5.6 percent. This decrease from the previous year's 10.4 percent suggests a significant easing of inflationary pressures. The country has experienced fluctuating inflation rates over the past decade, with the lowest CPI recorded in 2016. Recent Inflation Trends The highest inflation rate in Romania's recent history was observed in November 2022, peaking at 16.76 percent. By December 2024, inflation had moderated to 5.1 percent, a slight drop compared to the previous year. Food prices have contributed to overall inflation, with costs increasing by 5.09 percent in December 2024 compared to the same month in the previous year. Economic Impact and Outlook Despite inflationary pressures, Romania's economy has shown resilience. The country's gross domestic product per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity, increased by 2.3 percent in 2023, reaching 40,665.53 U.S. dollars. This growth, although slowing, represents the highest level observed recently. Looking ahead, certain sectors may continue to face price increases. For instance, the apparel market is forecast to see a 37.79 percent rise in price per unit between 2024 and 2029, potentially reaching 34.61 U.S. dollars by the end of that period.

The USA: Inflation: percent change in the Consumer Price Index: The latest value from 2024 is 2.9 percent, a decline from 4.1 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 6.0 percent, based on data from 155 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1960 to 2024 is 3.8 percent. The minimum value, -0.4 percent, was reached in 2009 while the maximum of 13.5 percent was recorded in 1980.

Ireland: Inflation: percent change in the Consumer Price Index: The latest value from 2024 is 2.1 percent, a decline from 6.3 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 6.0 percent, based on data from 155 countries. Historically, the average for Ireland from 1960 to 2024 is 5.2 percent. The minimum value, -4.4 percent, was reached in 2009 while the maximum of 20.9 percent was recorded in 1975.