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.

Due to the recent hyperinflation crisis in Venezuela, the average inflation rate in Venezuela is estimated to be around 225 percent in 2026. However, this is well below the peak of 63,000 percent observed in 2018.What is hyperinflation?In short, hyperinflation is a very high inflation rate that accelerates quickly. It can be caused by a government printing huge amounts of new money to pay for its expenses. The subsequent rapid increase of prices causes the country’s currency to lose value and shortages in goods to occur. People then typically start hoarding goods, which become even more scarce and expensive, money becomes worthless, financial institutions go bankrupt, and eventually, the country’s economy collapses. The Venezuelan descent into hyperinflationIn Venezuela, the economic catastrophe began with government price controls and plummeting oil prices, which caused state-run oil companies to go bankrupt. The government then starting printing new money to cope, thus prices rose rapidly, unemployment increased, and GDP collapsed, all of which was exacerbated by international sanctions. Today, many Venezuelans are emigrating to find work and supplies elsewhere, and population growth is at a decade-low. Current president Nicolás Maduro does not seem inclined to steer away from his course of price controls and economic mismanagement, so the standard of living in the country is not expected to improve significantly anytime soon.

The Consumer Price Index gauges the price changes in a basket of goods and services in a defined time period. In Argentina, the CPI in April 2024 was 289 percent higher than the one registered the same month of the previous year, with this figure being the largest monthly inflation rate since, at least, the beginning of 2018. The Argentinian inflation rate has been experiencing a steep increase from December 2020 onwards, when the decreasing trend witnessed since December 2019 came to an end. Long history of inflation in Latin America High inflation rates are nothing new in Latin America. In 2023, the region's inflation rate was 14.41 percent, while the global average was much lower at 6.78 percent. Nonetheless, the main drivers of this are Venezuela and Argentina, both being in the upper table of countries with the highest inflation rates in the world. During the last few years, Venezuela entered a period with five-digits inflation rates, having to issue a new currency and implementing new policies to control price increases.

A history of hyperinflation During the last couple of years, inflation has been a constant among the main problems the Argentine society faces. The country returned to a three-digit inflation rate with former president Alberto Fernández, and the constant price increases took a toll on households across the board. Nevertheless, the problem is far from a recent one or the worst it's ever been, in 1989 and 1990, the inflation rate was over 2,000 percent, reaching for the status of hyperinflation. Commonly, hyperinflation is defined as price increases with over 50 percent per month.

Inflation Rate in Argentina decreased to 43.50 percent in May from 47.30 percent in April of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Argentina Inflation Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Inflation Rate in Russia decreased to 9.90 percent in May from 10.20 percent in April of 2025. This dataset provides - Russia Inflation Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

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.

In August 2024, the global consumer price index, excluding the United States, stood at 187.7, compared to 160.1 for the U.S. The data for the world and emerging economies are distorted by hyperinflation in Venezuela and may not accurately reflect the inflation rate of other countries. However, Russia's war in Ukraine caused a surge in prices globally through 2022 and 2023. The headline consumer price index tracks the changes in the price level of a basket of goods and services purchased by households. Economic challenges in Argentina While CPI increases have been significant globally, certain economies have experienced more dramatic increases than others. Argentina is a notable case of these increases, as the CPI has increased more than 100 percent between 2020 and 2023. Currently, most of the Argentinian public considers inflation and low wages to be the biggest challenges facing the country. Consumer responses to price increases Globally, consumers are coping with price increases in many ways. In a May 2023 survey, 68 percent respondents from over 14 countries indicated they were more conscious about prices than previously. In another survey from earlier that year, over 40 percent of respondents indicated they were most concerned about inflation and had changed their consumption habits as a result.

Inflation Rate in Nigeria decreased to 22.97 percent in May from 23.71 percent in April of 2025. This dataset provides - Nigeria Inflation Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Inflation Rate in Vietnam increased to 3.24 percent in May from 3.12 percent in April of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Vietnam Inflation Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Inflation Rate in Turkey decreased to 35.05 percent in June from 35.41 percent in May of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Turkey Inflation Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Inflation Rate in China remained unchanged at -0.10 percent in May. This dataset provides - China Inflation Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In May 2025, the inflation rate in Russia stood at **** percent compared to the same month in the previous year, showing an increase. The rate has been decreasing since March 2025. The highest rate during the observed period was recorded in April 2022, at **** percent. The term inflation means the devaluation of money caused by a permanent increase in the price level for products (consumer goods, investment goods). The Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows the price development for private expenses and shows the current level of inflation when increasing. Russia's economy, an outlook The Russian economy was expected to grow by *** percent in 2025 despite the Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine that began in February 2022. At the same time, consumer prices were projected to grow by around **** percent in 2025 relative to the previous year. In 2024, the inflation rate was estimated at **** percent. Prices in Russia Russia’s economy is highly dependent on and affected by the price of oil. The price of the Urals crude oil stood at approximately ***** U.S. dollars per barrel in April 2025, having demonstrated a decrease from the previous month. The highest producer price index (PPI) was recorded in the electricity and gas supply sector, with a price growth rate of over ** percent in September 2024.

Inflation Rate in Mexico increased to 4.42 percent in May from 3.93 percent in April of 2025. This dataset provides - Mexico Inflation Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Inflation Rate in Brazil decreased to 5.32 percent in May from 5.53 percent in April of 2025. This dataset provides - Brazil Inflation Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In November 2024, the inflation rate in Turkey corresponded to **** percent. The monthly inflation rate in Turkey reached ***** percent in October 2022, the highest inflation rate recorded during the provided time interval. In June 2023, the year-on-year change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was recorded at ***** percent, the lowest since January 2022. Since the second half of 2019, Turkey’s inflation rate has consistently been in double digits, with inflation accelerating at the fastest rate in 2022. High production costs In Turkey, domestic producer price indices have been continuously rising, which has directly resulted in a price increase in all consumer goods and services. Accordingly, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in all commodity groups increased extremely since 2022. In the same year, the food and non-alcoholic beverages category had one of the highest inflation rates in the CPI. This particularly affected Turkish consumers, as these products accounted for the highest share of household expenditure in 2023. Soaring food prices Since 2020, food prices have increased significantly around the world, and Turkey is no exception. Although inflation has started to slow down recently, food prices in Turkey continue to go up steadily, increasing by **** percent in November 2024 compared to the same month in the previous year. It is not surprising that food inflation has not simmered down, as the producer price index (PPI) of agricultural products followed a constant increasing trend in the country over the past few years.

Gross domestic product (GDP) of Venezuela fell to 43.79 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, down from a 2012 peak of 372.59 U.S. dollars.

Venezuela’s economic capacity

Venezuela is famously the country with the largest oil reserves. However, mismanagement of the economy has led to several economic problems. Most notably, inflation has gotten out of control and has turned into hyperinflation. This represents a complete breakdown in people’s faith in the currency and, to a similar extent, the entire financial system.

The Maduro Diet

President Nicolás Maduro has largely been blamed for the economic situation in Venezuela. Many people have lost weight due to food shortages, which critics refer to as the “Maduro Diet”. In early 2019, opposition leader Juan Guaido declared the Maduro administration illegitimate, plunging the country into a constitutional crisis that divided the diplomatic world. Regardless of the outcome, Venezuela will still have to deal with high inflation, growing national debt, and challenges in infrastructure.

From 2017 to 2021, the share of households living under the poverty line in Venezuela has been surpassing 90 percent. In addition, more than six out of every ten households (67.97 percent) lived in extreme poverty in 2021. The overall household poverty rate in Venezuela has registered a steady growth from 2014 to 2019, after having remained relatively stable, below 40 percent, since 2005. Although poverty is widespread among the population as a whole, some groups are more vulnerable than others. That is the case of younger generations and particularly children: 98.03 percent of Venezuelans aged 15 or younger lived in poverty in 2021. An economy in disarray Venezuela, the country with the largest oil reserves in the world and whose economy has been largely dependent on oil revenues for decades, was once one of the most prosperous countries in Latin America. Today, hyperinflation and an astronomic public debt are only some of the many pressing concerns that affect the domestic economy. The socio-economic consequences of the crisis As a result of the economic recession, more than half of the population in every state in Venezuela lives in extreme poverty. This issue is particularly noteworthy in the states of Amazonas, Monagas, and Falcón, where the extreme poverty rate hovers over 80 percent. Such alarming levels of poverty, together with persistent food shortages, provoked a rapid increase in undernourishment, which was estimated at 17.9 percent between 2020 and 2022. The combination of humanitarian crisis, political turmoil and economic havoc led to the Venezuelan refugee and migrant crisis. As of 2020, more than five million Venezuelans had fled their home country, with neighboring Colombia being the main country of destination.