In January 2025, prices had increased by three percent compared to January 2024 according to the 12-month percentage change in the consumer price index — the monthly inflation rate for goods and services in the United States. The data represents U.S. city averages. In economics, the inflation rate is a measure of the change in price level over time. The rate of decrease in the purchasing power of money is approximately equal. A projection of the annual U.S. inflation rate can be accessed here and the actual annual inflation rate since 1990 can be accessed here. InflationOne of the most important economic indicators is the development of the Consumer Price Index in a country. The change in this price level of goods and services is defined as the rate of inflation. The inflationary situation in the United States had been relatively severe in 2022 due to global events relating to COVID-19, supply chain restrains, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. More information on U.S. inflation may be found on our dedicated topic page. The annual inflation rate in the United States has increased from 3.2 percent in 2011 to 8.3 percent in 2022. This means that the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar has weakened in recent years. The purchasing power is the extent to which a person has available funds to make purchases. According to the data published by the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) was about 258.84 in 2020 and is forecasted to grow up to 325.6 by 2027, compared to the base period from 1982 to 1984. The monthly percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban consumers in the United States was 0.1 percent in March 2023 compared to the previous month. In 2022, countries all around the world are experienced high levels of inflation. Although Brazil already had an inflation rate of 8.3 percent in 2021, compared to the previous year, while the inflation rate in China stood at 0.85 percent.

In case prices for goods and services go up significantly in 2023, over ** percent of consumers around the world said they would shop less in general and cut down on spending as a response. A fifth of survey respondents said they would look for and purchase cheaper and better value products. Less than **** percent of those surveyed worldwide believed inflation would be unlikely to impact their habits. What does inflation look like? The world entered a new inflation crisis in 2021, driven by a confluence of factors including the COVID-19 pandemic which restricted global supply chains, and the Russian-Ukraine war which exacerbated food and energy shortages. In 2022, global inflation hit **** percent, the highest annual increase in decades. The rate of inflation is estimated to remain high in the near future, at around *** percent in 2023 and *** percent in 2024. Inflation dominated the list of most important problems facing the world according to a survey conducted in October 2023 – leading ahead of poverty and social inequality, crime and violence, and unemployment. In a global consumer trends survey, the majority of respondents said that inflation impacted them completely or a lot – for instance, ***** in ** respondents in the United States admitted they had been seriously impacted. Inflation’s impact on the holidays The end-of-year holiday season is typically regarded as a period of increased retail spending, driven by a series of major shopping events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as well as the public holidays Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, inflation has put a damper on the holiday cheer, with consumers expressing their intentions to cut back spending amid the cost-of-living crisis. In 2022, a significant share of consumers in Europe said they planned to cut at least some related expenses. In fact, ** percent of respondents in the United Kingdom planned to cut all expenses related to Black Friday and Christmas.

2022 and 2023 saw inflation rates rise all over the world, especially spurred by effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. With its hyperinflation, Argentina was predicted to have the highest inflation rate of the countries included here both in 2023, 2024, and 2025. On the other hand, China's inflation rate was estimated to only reach one percent in 2024.

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.

Due to a number of factors, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, countries around the world have had to adapt to increased inflation rates. According to a survey conducted in March 2022, many consumers in the United States have already felt the weight of rising prices. In fact, approximately **** of those surveyed stated that the sudden surge of inflation has impacted their ability to pay their bills and buy basic necessities.

This statistic shows the inflation rate in selected regions of the world in 2024. All figures presented here are estimates. In 2024, the inflation rate of the industrialized countries was estimated to amount to approximately 2.62 percent compared to the previous year.

Yearly citation counts for the publication titled "Price dispersion and inflation: New facts and theoretical implications".

In 2024, Japan had an average inflation rate estimated at 2.74 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 inflation rate for the Republic of Ireland in July 2025 was ****percent, up from ****percent in the previous month. During the provided time period, inflation reached a peak of *** percent in October 2022 and was at its lowest in October 2020, when prices were falling by *** percent. In the most recent month, the sector that had the fastest rate of price rises was food, at **** percent, while prices were falling by *** percent for transportation. Inflation subsides but remains a key issue Like in many other economies, the global inflation crisis led to increased inflation in Ireland from 2021 to 2023, reaching a peak of *** percent in late 2022. As of October 2024, approximately ** percent of people in Ireland still saw inflation as one of the top two most important issues facing the country, down from ** percent in July 2022. Furthermore, inflation was second only to housing as a top issue in the country, ahead of health, immigration, and climate change. Another survey highlights the fact that despite inflation subsiding, people are still struggling with the cost of living. When asked how well they are coping financially, just ****** percent of respondents advised they were living comfortably, with ** percent just getting by and almost a quarter finding it quite or very difficult. Key economic indicators of Ireland Ireland's overall gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 was estimated to be over ***** billion U.S. dollars, up from ***** billion dollars in 2023. Due to the presence of several multinational companies in the country, however, Ireland's GDP figure can be misleading. In 2022, for example, while overall GDP was ***** billion Euros, gross national income (GNI) was just ***** billion Euros, with modified GNI even lower at ***** billion Euros. Looking at Ireland's labor market, there were around **** million people employed in the country in 2024, while the unemployment rate has, as of early 2025, fluctuated between **** and *** percent since April 2022.

In Italy, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted education costs. From September 2020 to September 2021, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) drastically dropped -3.5 percent compared to 2019/2020. In fact, expenses for tertiary education mainly affected the decline of inflation, as universities had to suspend any activity on campus following the second infection wave between 2020 and 2021. As the emergency measures were lifted, prices progressively grew, settling to pre-pandemic levels.

In 2024, the average inflation rate in Vietnam amounted to 3.62 percent compared to the previous year. After a severe drop below one percent in 2015, Vietnam’s inflation seems to have stabilized again and is expected to level off at around 3.4 percent in the next few years. Vietnam’s economic struggles Around 2012, Vietnam suffered the consequences of the global economic crisis and domestic economic mismanagement, which saw enterprises going bankrupt, inflation peaking at over nine percent, and gross domestic product slumping to a dramatic low. Fortunately, the country recovered quickly and seemed out of the red and on a stable path by 2016. Rich in riceVietnam’s economy is largely rooted in services and industry, but around 16 percent of it is generated by agriculture, mainly rice cultivation. Almost half of the Vietnamese workforce is active in this sector. Vietnam is, in fact, one of the largest exporters of rice in the world, but also one of the main consumers. Paddy production in Vietnam has decreased a bit in the last few years, but overall, the country’s economy is perceived to improving.

Of the major developed and emerging economies, China had the lowest inflation rate at 0.1 percent in June 2025. 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).

The Christmas Price Index has not been immune to the impacts of inflation in 2023, with the cost of five gold rings increasing by 13.9 percent, and two turtle doves by 25 percent.

A festive basket of goods Traditionally, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the United States measures the rate of inflation on a basket of goods as a way to document the general inflationary experience of all urban consumers. The Christmas Price Index has been used for decades to humorously measure the changing cost of a particular set of goods over time – in this case the items described in the popular holiday tune, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Overall inflation for the Christmas Price Index amounts to 2.7 percent.

Eight maids need a raise For the twelfth year in a row, the price of eight maids-a-milking has remained constant at 58 U.S. dollars. This is due to the fact that the federal minimum wage in the United States has been 7.25 U.S. dollars since 2009. The source categorizes maids-a-milking as unskilled laborers – meaning it would be appropriate to pay them the federal minimum wage for their troubles. The cost of ten Lords-a-leaping, however, is more than 241 times more expensive.

This statistic shows the inflation rate of the main industrialized and emerging countries in 2024. In 2024, the inflation rate in China was estimated to amount to approximately 0.23 percent compared to the previous year.

Inflation Rate in Philippines increased to 1.70 percent in September from 1.50 percent in August of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Philippines Inflation Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

The inflation rate for the Republic of Ireland in July 2025 was two percent, up from 1.8 percent in the previous month. During the provided time period, inflation reached a peak of 9.3 percent in October 2022 and was at its lowest in October 2020, when prices were falling by 1.4 percent. In the most recent month, the sector that had the fastest rate of price rises was food, at four percent, while prices were falling by 2.4 percent for transportation. Inflation subsides but remains a key issue Like in many other economies, the global inflation crisis led to increased inflation in Ireland from 2021 to 2023, reaching a peak of 9.2 percent in late 2022. As of October 2024, approximately 39 percent of people in Ireland still saw inflation as one of the top two most important issues facing the country, down from 65 percent in July 2022. Furthermore, inflation was second only to housing as a top issue in the country, ahead of health, immigration, and climate change. Another survey highlights the fact that despite inflation subsiding, people are still struggling with the cost of living. When asked how well they are coping financially, just eleven percent of respondents advised they were living comfortably, with 37 percent just getting by and almost a quarter finding it quite or very difficult. Key economic indicators of Ireland Ireland's overall gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 was estimated to be over 560.6 billion U.S. dollars, up from 551.6 billion dollars in 2023. Due to the presence of several multinational companies in the country, however, Ireland's GDP figure can be misleading. In 2022, for example, while overall GDP was 506.3 billion Euros, gross national income (GNI) was just 363.6 billion Euros, with modified GNI even lower at 273.1 billion Euros. Looking at Ireland's labor market, there were around 2.79 million people employed in the country in 2024, while the unemployment rate has, as of early 2025, fluctuated between four and 4.6 percent since April 2022.

Although international shipping costs are generally not included in import price indices, importers can pass changes in shipping costs through to consumers in a manner that affects aggregate price growth. We estimate this pass-through and find that a 15 percent increase in shipping costs leads to a 0.10 percentage point increase in core inflation after one year. Shipping costs have recently stabilized after years of decline, suggesting import costs may contribute modestly to core inflation in 2017.

According to the European Commission's autumn 2024 Economic Forecast, inflation reached 1.1 percent in 2024. However, it is expected to increase to 1.9 percent in 2025 and 1.7 percent in 2026. Changes in consumption In 2022, inflation recorded a decisive increase due to a global energy crisis. In particular, electricity prices were almost 200 percent higher compared to 2021, and this consequently caused higher costs for producers and for final consumers. Therefore, Italian citizens had to confront themselves with higher prices and the risk that their purchasing power would have been eroded by the inflation. Therefore, they changed consumption habits. In fact, more than half of the consumers stopped buying unnecessary products and limited food waste.

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.

Space geodetic time series, be they ground-based or space-based, have increased in length and accuracy. These series can now be mined for information on the qualitative dynamics of volcanic systems directly from surface deformation data. Here, we study three volcanoes: Akutan and Okmok that are part of the Aleutian arc, and Piton de la Fournaise on la Reunion Island. All three are continuously monitored by the Global Positioning System (GPS) and exhibit common stair step–shaped inflation cycles sometimes referred to as to as “episodic inflation events”. Here we seek to characterize the corresponding dynamical regime of pressure build-up within their plumbing system. To do so, we make use of Multichannel Singular Spectrum Analysis (M-SSA), a data-adaptive, non-parametric time series analysis methodology that allows for 1) the reliable detection and extraction of such patterns even when the corresponding signal lies close to, or even below, the data scatter; and 2) the extraction of information relevant to the underlying qualitative dynamics without a priori assumptions on the underlying physical mechanisms. For our three volcanoes, we find that the inflation cycles resemble the relaxation oscillations of a simple oscillator that involves a nonlinear dissipative mechanism. This finding provides important guidelines for physics-based models of episodic inflation cycles. In fact, the three volcanoes share a plumbing system composed of several interconnected storage bodies. Guided by the qualitative M-SSA–inferred dynamics, we formulate a simple physical model of two magma bodies connected by a conduit in which the viscosity of the fluid varies with temperature or magma crystallization. We show that such a model possesses internal relaxation oscillations similar to those of a simple oscillator. These oscillations correspond to repetitive events with sharp variations in the rate of magma transport and they can account for episodic events of pressure build-up in magma bodies, with no need for a time-dependent magma flux into or out of the system. We also show that the model’s number of degrees of freedom is consistent with the amount of information extracted from M-SSA data analysis. The approach presented here relies on the robust statistical analysis of deformation time series to constrain the phenomenology of pressure build-up within a volcanic plumbing system; it provides a novel framework for understanding the dynamics of volcanic systems.