Inflation rates rose all around the world in 2022, so also in the G7 countries, where inflation rates varied from 2.5 percent in Japan to over eight percent in Italy. Inflation rates increased sharply all around the world through 2022, spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February that year. Especially gas and electricity were hit by price increases following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. Inflation rates were falling in all G7 economies except for Japan in 2023.

Inflation rates rose all around the world in 2022 and remained high in 2023, so also in the G7 countries except Japan. However, inflation rates were forecast to slow over the next years. Inflation rates increased sharply all around the world through 2022, spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February that year. Especially gas and electricity were hit by price increases following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The rising inflation worldwide in 2022 and 2023 is reflected in the increasing prices of the different commodity groups in the G7 countries. Most notably, the price of electricity, gas, and other fuels was high in the third quarter of 2024 in Japan, with price increases reaching 15 percent compared to the same period in 2023. On the other hand, gas and electricity inflation was negative in Germany, Italy, and the UK following extremely high rates in 2022 and the first half of 2023. Inflation rates increased sharply all around the world through 2022 and the beginning of 2023, spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February that year. Economic challenges in Japan As food and restaurant costs have risen in Japan in comparison to the rest of the G7 nations, overall, Japan is facing a period of economic slowdown. Over time, the value of the Japanese yen has dropped. Moreover, the Japanese GDP has also dropped, going from around five trillion U.S. dollars in 2021 to 4.1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2024. However, it is predicted to begin increasing by 2025. Falling electricity costs Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis driven by the February 2022 invasion of Russia into Ukraine, electricity prices increased worldwide through 2021, 2022, and 2023. As of 2024, inflation of electricity costs is decreasing across the G7, more than other commodity groups. This rise and fall can be seen throughout Europe as well as within the United States, after peaking in 2022.

Of the major developed and emerging economies, China had the lowest inflation rate at 0.1 percent in December 2024. On the other end of the spectrum, the inflation rate in Russia stood at nearly 10 percent. The country's inflation rate increased sharply after the country's President, Vladimir Putin, decided to invade Ukraine, declined somewhat in 2023, before increasing slowly again since. The rate of inflation reflects changes in the cost of a specified basket containing a representative selection of goods and services. It is derived from the consumer price index (CPI).

In 2023, Japan had an average inflation rate estimated at 3.21 percent, marking the highest rate of inflation in Japan in almost a decade. However, this figure was still very low compared to most other major economies, such as Japan's fellow G7 members, four of which had inflation rates around six or seven percent in 2023 due to the global inflation crisis. Why is Japan's inflation rate lower? There are a number of contributing factors to Japan's relatively low inflation rate, even during economic crises. Japan eased its Covid restrictions more slowly than most other major economies, this prevented post-pandemic consumer spending that may have driven inflation through supply chain issues caused by higher demand. As the majority of Japan's food and energy comes from overseas, and has done so for decades, the government has mechanisms in place to prevent energy and wheat prices from rising too quickly. Because of this, Japan was able to shield its private sector from many of the negative knock on effects from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which had a significant impact on both sectors globally. Persistent deflation and national debt An additional factor that has eased the impact of inflation on Japan's economy is the fact that it experienced deflation before the pandemic. Deflation has been a persistent problem in Japan since the asset price bubble burst in 1992, and has been symptomatic of Japan's staggering national debt thereafter. For almost 30 years, a combination of quantitative easing, low interest rates (below 0.5 percent since 1995, and at -0.1% since 2016), and a lack of spending due to low wages and an aging population have combined to give Japan the highest national debt in the world in absolute terms, and second-highest debt in relation to its GDP, after Venezuela. Despite this soaring debt, Japan remains the fourth-largest economy in the world, behind the U.S., China, and Germany.

The combined gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in the G7 countries is expected to slow in 2023 amid rising inflation rates around the world. That year, it was forecast to grow by around 1.5 percent, before increasing over the next years. GDP growth rates were even forecast to be slightly negative in Germany in 2023.

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.

The gross domestic product (GDP) of all G7 countries decreased sharply in 2009 and 2020 due to the financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The growth decline was heavier after the COVID-19 pandemic than the financial crisis. Moreover, Italy had a negative GDP growth rate in 2012 and 2013 following the euro crisis. In 2023, Germany experienced an economic recession.

The imports volume of all G7 countries was negative in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the United Kingdom seeing the most dramatic decrease at minus 16 percent compared to 2019. However, import volumes were positive again in all countries in 2021, but decreased in some countries in 2023 and 2024 amid high inflation rates.

In 2023 and through 2024, the world saw inflation rates increase amid, among other things, post-COVID-19 effects and the Russia-Ukraine war. Argentina and Turkey were both plagued by hyperinflation, with over 219 and 58 percent in 2024, respectively. Except for these, Russia had the highest inflation rate, at nearly eight percent. On the other hand, China had the lowest rate of the countries included here, at 0.2 percent. Argentinian inflation crisis During the 2020s, Argentina was struck by extreme levels of inflation, which severely impacted the livelihoods of Argentinians. Specifically, the costs of goods have presented numerous challenges to Argentinian consumers. In Argentina, a basic food basket that costs around 26,000 Argentinian pesos cost over 100,000 by February 2024. Similarly, a basic consumer goods basket that cost around 57,000 Argentinian pesos in February 2023 rose to over 220,000 by February 2024. While these rising costs have been challenging for consumers, Argentina’s inflation rate is expected to decrease beginning in 2024 and is estimated to reach 8.9% by 2029.

British recession Besides the outliers of Argentina and Turkey, the United Kingdom had a comparatively high CPI rate. As of 2024, the British economy has entered a recession, the only G7 country to do so. Just before the general election held in July 2024, British voters indicated that health, mostly the lack of financial support and staff shortages, as well as the economy was the most important issue to them.

The United States has had the highest economic growth in the G7 since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with its economy 5.4 percent larger in the first quarter of 2023, when compared with the fourth quarter of 2019. By contrast, the United Kingdom and Germany have both seen their economies shrink by 0.5 percent in the same time period.

The annual monthly inflation rate in the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) increased steadily from February 2021 to October 2022, when the inflation rate reached 10.7 percent compared to the same month the previous year. However, it has been slowing slightly since, dropping to 5.4 percent as of July 2024. The world saw rising inflation through 2022 and 2023, driven by an aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and further spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The exports volume of all G7 countries was negative in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with France seeing the most dramatic decrease at minus 17 percent compared to 2019. However, export volumes were positive again in all countries in 2021, but slowed in 2023 and 2024 amid high inflation rates.

In 2022 and through 2023, the world saw inflation rates increase amid, among other, post-COVID-19 effects and the Russia-Ukraine war. Argentina and Turkey were both plagued by hyperinflation at over 130 and 50 percent in 2023, respectively. Except for these, the United Kingdom had the highest inflation rate at nearly seven percent. On the other hand, China had the lowest rate of the countries included here at 0.2 percent. Argentinian inflation crisis During the 2020’s, Argentina has been struck by extreme levels of inflation, which has severely impacted the livelihoods of Argentinians. Specifically, the costs of goods have presented numerous challenges to Argentinian consumers. In Argentina, a basic food basket that cost around 26,000 Argentinian pesos cost over 100,000 Argentinian pesos by February 2024. Similarly, a basic consumer goods basket that cost around 57,000 Argentinian pesos in February 2023 rose to over 220,000 Argentinian pesos by February 2024. While these rising costs have been challenging for consumers, Argentina’s inflation rate is expected to decrease beginning in 2024 and is estimated to reach 8.9% by 2029.

British recession Besides the outliers of Argentina and Turkey, the United Kingdom had a comparatively high CPI rate. As of 2024, the British economy has entered a recession, the only G7 country to do so. As a general election will be held in July 2024, British voters indicate health, citing lack of financial support and staff shortages, as well as the economy as the most important issues to them.

In November 2024, the producer price index (PPI) in the United States was the highest in the four countries/areas under consideration. That month, its index score stood at above 146, compared to roughly 127 in the Euro Area, which was the second highest in the four areas. Contrarily, China is struggling with a decreasing PPI. The producer price index (PPI) measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output.

Portugal, Canada, and the United States were the countries with the highest house price to income ratio in 2023. In all three countries, the index exceeded 130 index points, while the average for all OECD countries stood at 117.5 index points. The index measures the development of housing affordability and is calculated by dividing nominal house price by nominal disposable income per head, with 2015 set as a base year when the index amounted to 100. An index value of 120, for example, would mean that house price growth has outpaced income growth by 20 percent since 2015. How have house prices worldwide changed since the COVID-19 pandemic? House prices started to rise gradually after the global financial crisis (2007–2008), but this trend accelerated with the pandemic. The countries with advanced economies, which usually have mature housing markets, experienced stronger growth than countries with emerging economies. Real house price growth (accounting for inflation) peaked in 2022 and has since lost some of the gain. Although, many countries experienced a decline in house prices, the global house price index shows that property prices in 2023 were still substantially higher than before COVID-19. Renting vs. buying In the past, house prices have grown faster than rents. However, the home affordability has been declining notably, with a direct impact on rental prices. As people struggle to buy a property of their own, they often turn to rental accommodation. This has resulted in a growing demand for rental apartments and soaring rental prices.

Mortgage interest rates worldwide varied greatly in 2024, from less than four percent in many European countries, to as high as 44 percent in Turkey. The average mortgage rate in a country depends on the central bank's base lending rate and macroeconomic indicators such as inflation and forecast economic growth. Since 2022, inflationary pressures have led to rapid increase in mortgage interest rates. Which are the leading mortgage markets? An easy way to estimate the importance of the mortgage sector in each country is by comparing household debt depth, or the ratio of the debt held by households compared to the county's GDP. In 2023, Switzerland, Australia, and Canada had some of the highest household debt to GDP ratios worldwide. While this indicator shows the size of the sector relative to the country’s economy, the value of mortgages outstanding allows to compare the market size in different countries. In Europe, for instance, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France were the largest mortgage markets by outstanding mortgage lending. Mortgage lending trends in the U.S. In the United States, new mortgage lending soared in 2021. This was largely due to the growth of new refinance loans that allow homeowners to renegotiate their mortgage terms and replace their existing loan with a more favorable one. Following the rise in interest rates, the mortgage market cooled, and refinance loans declined.