Inflation history

U.S. inflation rate by year

U.S. inflation was 2.6% in 2025, measured by the annual average CPI-U (2.7% December to December). So far in 2026, prices are running 3.3% above the same months of 2025. Since 1913 consumer prices have risen an average of 3.2% a year; since 2000, 2.6%.

Chart

Annual U.S. inflation rate, 1914–2025

Annual-average CPI-U inflation. The highest year was 1918 (+18.0%); the steepest deflation came in 1921 (−10.5%). Red bars are inflation, green bars deflation.

-15%-10%-5%0%5%10%15%20%1914: +1.0%1915: +1.0%1916: +7.9%1917: +17.4%1918: +18.0%1919: +14.6%1920: +15.6%19201921: -10.5%1922: -6.1%1923: +1.8%1924: +0.0%1925: +2.3%1926: +1.1%1927: -1.7%1928: -1.7%1929: +0.0%1930: -2.3%19301931: -9.0%1932: -9.9%1933: -5.1%1934: +3.1%1935: +2.2%1936: +1.5%1937: +3.6%1938: -2.1%1939: -1.4%1940: +0.7%19401941: +5.0%1942: +10.9%1943: +6.1%1944: +1.7%1945: +2.3%1946: +8.3%1947: +14.4%1948: +8.1%1949: -1.2%1950: +1.3%19501951: +7.9%1952: +1.9%1953: +0.8%1954: +0.7%1955: -0.4%1956: +1.5%1957: +3.3%1958: +2.8%1959: +0.7%1960: +1.7%19601961: +1.0%1962: +1.0%1963: +1.3%1964: +1.3%1965: +1.6%1966: +2.9%1967: +3.1%1968: +4.2%1969: +5.5%1970: +5.7%19701971: +4.4%1972: +3.2%1973: +6.2%1974: +11.0%1975: +9.1%1976: +5.8%1977: +6.5%1978: +7.6%1979: +11.3%1980: +13.5%19801981: +10.3%1982: +6.2%1983: +3.2%1984: +4.3%1985: +3.6%1986: +1.9%1987: +3.6%1988: +4.1%1989: +4.8%1990: +5.4%19901991: +4.2%1992: +3.0%1993: +3.0%1994: +2.6%1995: +2.8%1996: +3.0%1997: +2.3%1998: +1.6%1999: +2.2%2000: +3.4%20002001: +2.8%2002: +1.6%2003: +2.3%2004: +2.7%2005: +3.4%2006: +3.2%2007: +2.8%2008: +3.8%2009: -0.4%2010: +1.6%20102011: +3.2%2012: +2.1%2013: +1.5%2014: +1.6%2015: +0.1%2016: +1.3%2017: +2.1%2018: +2.4%2019: +1.8%2020: +1.2%20202021: +4.7%2022: +8.0%2023: +4.1%2024: +2.9%2025: +2.6%
Table

Inflation rate for every year since 1914

Two common ways to state a year's inflation: the change in the annual average index (used for most comparisons and by the inflation calculator) and the change from December to December (the figure the BLS headlines in its January report).

YearAnnual avg CPI-UInflation (annual avg)Inflation (Dec–Dec)
2026*331.655+3.3%+3.4% (12 mo. to Aug)
2025321.943+2.6%+2.7%
2024313.689+2.9%+2.9%
2023304.702+4.1%+3.4%
2022292.655+8.0%+6.5%
2021270.970+4.7%+7.0%
2020258.811+1.2%+1.4%
2019255.657+1.8%+2.3%
2018251.107+2.4%+1.9%
2017245.120+2.1%+2.1%
2016240.007+1.3%+2.1%
2015237.017+0.1%+0.7%
2014236.736+1.6%+0.8%
2013232.957+1.5%+1.5%
2012229.594+2.1%+1.7%
2011224.939+3.2%+3.0%
2010218.056+1.6%+1.5%
2009214.537−0.4%+2.7%
2008215.303+3.8%+0.1%
2007207.342+2.8%+4.1%
2006201.6+3.2%+2.5%
2005195.3+3.4%+3.4%
2004188.9+2.7%+3.3%
2003184.0+2.3%+1.9%
2002179.9+1.6%+2.4%
2001177.1+2.8%+1.6%
2000172.2+3.4%+3.4%
1999166.6+2.2%+2.7%
1998163.0+1.6%+1.6%
1997160.5+2.3%+1.7%
1996156.9+3.0%+3.3%
1995152.4+2.8%+2.5%
1994148.2+2.6%+2.7%
1993144.5+3.0%+2.7%
1992140.3+3.0%+2.9%
1991136.2+4.2%+3.1%
1990130.7+5.4%+6.1%
1989124.0+4.8%+4.6%
1988118.3+4.1%+4.4%
1987113.6+3.6%+4.4%
1986109.6+1.9%+1.1%
1985107.6+3.6%+3.8%
1984103.9+4.3%+3.9%
198399.6+3.2%+3.8%
198296.5+6.2%+3.8%
198190.9+10.3%+8.9%
198082.4+13.5%+12.5%
197972.6+11.3%+13.3%
197865.2+7.6%+9.0%
197760.6+6.5%+6.7%
197656.9+5.8%+4.9%
197553.8+9.1%+6.9%
197449.3+11.0%+12.3%
197344.4+6.2%+8.7%
197241.8+3.2%+3.4%
197140.5+4.4%+3.3%
197038.8+5.7%+5.6%
196936.7+5.5%+6.2%
196834.8+4.2%+4.7%
196733.4+3.1%+3.0%
196632.4+2.9%+3.5%
196531.5+1.6%+1.9%
196431.0+1.3%+1.0%
196330.6+1.3%+1.6%
196230.2+1.0%+1.3%
196129.9+1.0%+0.7%
196029.6+1.7%+1.4%
195929.1+0.7%+1.7%
195828.9+2.8%+1.8%
195728.1+3.3%+2.9%
195627.2+1.5%+3.0%
195526.8−0.4%+0.4%
195426.9+0.7%−0.7%
195326.7+0.8%+0.7%
195226.5+1.9%+0.8%
195126.0+7.9%+6.0%
195024.1+1.3%+5.9%
194923.8−1.2%−2.1%
194824.1+8.1%+3.0%
194722.3+14.4%+8.8%
194619.5+8.3%+18.1%
194518.0+2.3%+2.2%
194417.6+1.7%+2.3%
194317.3+6.1%+3.0%
194216.3+10.9%+9.0%
194114.7+5.0%+9.9%
194014.0+0.7%+0.7%
193913.9−1.4%0.0%
193814.1−2.1%−2.8%
193714.4+3.6%+2.9%
193613.9+1.5%+1.4%
193513.7+2.2%+3.0%
193413.4+3.1%+1.5%
193313.0−5.1%+0.8%
193213.7−9.9%−10.3%
193115.2−9.0%−9.3%
193016.7−2.3%−6.4%
192917.10.0%+0.6%
192817.1−1.7%−1.2%
192717.4−1.7%−2.3%
192617.7+1.1%−1.1%
192517.5+2.3%+3.5%
192417.10.0%0.0%
192317.1+1.8%+2.4%
192216.8−6.1%−2.3%
192117.9−10.5%−10.8%
192020.0+15.6%+2.6%
191917.3+14.6%+14.5%
191815.1+18.0%+20.4%
191712.8+17.4%+18.1%
191610.9+7.9%+12.6%
191510.1+1.0%+2.0%
191410.0+1.0%+1.0%

*2026: January–August average vs. the same months of 2025. Source: BLS CPI-U (1982–84 = 100), updated with August 2026 data.

Decades

Average inflation by decade

DecadeAverage per yearHighest yearLowest year
1910s+9.7%+18.0%+1.0%
1920s−0.1%+15.6%−10.5%
1930s−2.1%+3.6%−9.9%
1940s+5.5%+14.4%−1.2%
1950s+2.0%+7.9%−0.4%
1960s+2.3%+5.5%+1.0%
1970s+7.1%+11.3%+3.2%
1980s+5.5%+13.5%+1.9%
1990s+3.0%+5.4%+1.6%
2000s+2.6%+3.8%−0.4%
2010s+1.8%+3.2%+0.1%
2020s (to 2025)+3.9%+8.0%+1.2%

Average per year is the compound annual change in the annual-average index from the last year of the prior decade.

FAQ

Common questions

What was the U.S. inflation rate in 2025?

2.6% based on annual average CPI-U, and 2.7% from December 2024 to December 2025.

What is the inflation rate in 2026 so far?

CPI-U rose 3.4% in the 12 months to August 2026. The January–August average is 3.3% above the same period of 2025.

What is the average U.S. inflation rate?

About 3.2% a year since 1913 and 2.6% a year since 2000, compounded from annual average CPI-U.

Which year had the highest inflation?

1918, at 18.0% on an annual-average basis. Since 1950 the peak was 1980 (13.5%).