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.

Historical chart and dataset showing Lebanon inflation rate by year from 2009 to 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 Consumer Price Index in Hungary increased 0.40 percent in July of 2025 over the previous month. This dataset provides - Hungary Inflation Rate MoM - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Inflation Rate in Zimbabwe increased to 95.80 percent in July from 92.50 percent in June 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.

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.

The Consumer Price Index in Rwanda decreased 0.60 percent in July of 2025 over the previous month. This dataset provides - Rwanda Inflation Rate MoM- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

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 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.

FOMC Projections - PCE Inflation Rate: 16 years of historical data from 2009 to 2025.

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.

The statistic shows the inflation rate in Russia from 1997 to 2024, with projections until 2030. The inflation rate is calculated using the price increase in a defined product basket. This product basket contains products and services, on which the average consumer spends money throughout the year. They include expenses for groceries, clothes, rent, power, telecommunications, recreational activities and raw materials (e.g., gas, oil), as well as federal fees and taxes. In 2022, the average inflation rate in Russia was at about 13.75 percent compared to the previous year. Russia's economic uplift Based on economic power and economic standards, Russia is recognized as one of the biggest economic powers in the world. With a population of around 143 million people and a re-awakened population growth since 2010, Russia has tried to establish itself as one of the world’s largest economies and wealthiest nations and succeeded, being the sixth-largest economy in the world today. The gross domestic product (GDP) increase in Russia from 2009 to 2014 is also a good indicator of Russia’s economic growth and strength. After the 1998 Russian financial crisis, several reforms were introduced to the Russian economy which allowed it to recover. Not only did the Russian economy experience a great boost, but the quality of life in Russia as well as the people’s satisfaction with the direction of the country has also improved. In comparison to the previous year - with the exception of 2009 -, the Russian real gross domestic product growth rate has increased over the past decade. The trade balance of goods has been experiencing a rapid increase since the beginning of the millennium, with the exceptions of 2007 and 2009 due to the global economic crisis. This allowed Russia to export more goods than it imported. This high trade balance of goods resulted in a low inflation rate in 2012, the lowest recorded inflation rate since 2004.

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.

This statistic shows the inflation rate in food products and non-alcoholic beverages in France from 2009 to 2014. It reveals that the inflation rate in 2013 amounted to *** percent compared to the previous year.

Inflation in Zimbabwe rose to 10.61 percent in 2018, and is projected to jump dramatically to 736.11 percent in 2024. After that, estimates predict a slow decline for now - however, given Zimbabwe’s history of poor monetary policy, including one of the worst instances of hyperinflation, this seems unrealistic. Inflation history Inflation depends significantly on economic expectations of it, making it hard to reduce inflation once it has hit higher levels. This happened in Zimbabwe in the years approaching 2008, at the end of which a single U.S. dollar was worth over 2.6 trillion Zimbabwe dollars, up from 10,000 Zimbabwe dollars at the start of 2005. This all but destroyed Zimbabwe’s economy, leading to very low gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and a government struggling to finance itself. The way ahead In 2009, the Zimbabwean dollar had twelve zeros slashed from the banknotes. This was not enough, and after three decades of rule, former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe was removed from power at the end of 2017. Citizens of the country are trying to hold foreign banknotes; they prefer U.S. dollars or euros, but the South African rand is more common. However, the rand’s performance against other currencies has been lackluster in recent years. This underscores the struggle that the Zimbabwean people have to find a stable currency at the moment.

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.

Inflation rates of Gezira sank by 51.57% from 16 index, 2007=100 in 2008 to 8 index, 2007=100 in 2009. Since the 51.57% slump in 2009, inflation rates remained stable by 0.00% in 2009.

Cost of food in South Africa increased 5.70 percent in July of 2025 over the same month in the previous year. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - South Africa Food Inflation - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Inflation rates of South Kordofan sank by 40.10% from 19 index, 2007=100 in 2008 to 12 index, 2007=100 in 2009. Since the 40.10% slump in 2009, inflation rates remained stable by 0.00% in 2009.

Cost of food in Chad decreased 7.50 percent in July of 2025 over the same month in the previous year. This dataset provides - Chad Food Inflation - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.