US inflation rate by year
Updated Updated for 2026 tax law
The annual US inflation rate for every year since 1914, measured as the change in the yearly average Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). Latest: prices rose 3.7% in the 12 months to September 2026. Convert any amount between years with the inflation calculator.
How to read the table
- CPI-U is the average price index for the year (1982–84 = 100). 2026 shows the latest month instead.
- Inflation is the percent change from the previous year's average. Negative values are deflation.
- $1 then = today is what one dollar from that year buys in September 2026 prices.
| Year | CPI-U | Inflation | $1 then = today |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Sep) | 336.94 | 3.7%* | $1.00 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $1.05 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $1.07 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $1.11 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $1.15 |
| 2021 | 270.97 | 4.7% | $1.24 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $1.30 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $1.32 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $1.34 |
| 2017 | 245.12 | 2.1% | $1.37 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $1.40 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $1.42 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $1.42 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $1.45 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $1.47 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $1.50 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $1.55 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | −0.4% | $1.57 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $1.56 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $1.63 |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.2% | $1.67 |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.4% | $1.73 |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.7% | $1.78 |
| 2003 | 184 | 2.3% | $1.83 |
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.6% | $1.87 |
| 2001 | 177.1 | 2.8% | $1.90 |
| 2000 | 172.2 | 3.4% | $1.96 |
| 1999 | 166.6 | 2.2% | $2.02 |
| 1998 | 163 | 1.6% | $2.07 |
| 1997 | 160.5 | 2.3% | $2.10 |
| 1996 | 156.9 | 3.0% | $2.15 |
| 1995 | 152.4 | 2.8% | $2.21 |
| 1994 | 148.2 | 2.6% | $2.27 |
| 1993 | 144.5 | 3.0% | $2.33 |
| 1992 | 140.3 | 3.0% | $2.40 |
| 1991 | 136.2 | 4.2% | $2.47 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | 5.4% | $2.58 |
| 1989 | 124 | 4.8% | $2.72 |
| 1988 | 118.3 | 4.1% | $2.85 |
| 1987 | 113.6 | 3.6% | $2.97 |
| 1986 | 109.6 | 1.9% | $3.07 |
| 1985 | 107.6 | 3.6% | $3.13 |
| 1984 | 103.9 | 4.3% | $3.24 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $3.38 |
| 1982 | 96.5 | 6.2% | $3.49 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $3.71 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $4.09 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $4.64 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $5.17 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $5.56 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $5.92 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $6.26 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $6.83 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $7.59 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $8.06 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $8.32 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $8.68 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $9.18 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $9.68 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $10.09 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $10.40 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $10.70 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $10.87 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $11.01 |
| 1962 | 30.2 | 1.0% | $11.16 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $11.27 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $11.38 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $11.58 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $11.66 |
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $11.99 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $12.39 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | −0.4% | $12.57 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $12.53 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $12.62 |
| 1952 | 26.5 | 1.9% | $12.71 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $12.96 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $13.98 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | −1.2% | $14.16 |
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $13.98 |
| 1947 | 22.3 | 14.4% | $15.11 |
| 1946 | 19.5 | 8.3% | $17.28 |
| 1945 | 18 | 2.3% | $18.72 |
| 1944 | 17.6 | 1.7% | $19.14 |
| 1943 | 17.3 | 6.1% | $19.48 |
| 1942 | 16.3 | 10.9% | $20.67 |
| 1941 | 14.7 | 5.0% | $22.92 |
| 1940 | 14 | 0.7% | $24.07 |
| 1939 | 13.9 | −1.4% | $24.24 |
| 1938 | 14.1 | −2.1% | $23.90 |
| 1937 | 14.4 | 3.6% | $23.40 |
| 1936 | 13.9 | 1.5% | $24.24 |
| 1935 | 13.7 | 2.2% | $24.59 |
| 1934 | 13.4 | 3.1% | $25.14 |
| 1933 | 13 | −5.1% | $25.92 |
| 1932 | 13.7 | −9.9% | $24.59 |
| 1931 | 15.2 | −9.0% | $22.17 |
| 1930 | 16.7 | −2.3% | $20.18 |
| 1929 | 17.1 | 0.0% | $19.70 |
| 1928 | 17.1 | −1.7% | $19.70 |
| 1927 | 17.4 | −1.7% | $19.36 |
| 1926 | 17.7 | 1.1% | $19.04 |
| 1925 | 17.5 | 2.3% | $19.25 |
| 1924 | 17.1 | 0.0% | $19.70 |
| 1923 | 17.1 | 1.8% | $19.70 |
| 1922 | 16.8 | −6.1% | $20.06 |
| 1921 | 17.9 | −10.5% | $18.82 |
| 1920 | 20 | 15.6% | $16.85 |
| 1919 | 17.3 | 14.6% | $19.48 |
| 1918 | 15.1 | 18.0% | $22.31 |
| 1917 | 12.8 | 17.4% | $26.32 |
| 1916 | 10.9 | 7.9% | $30.91 |
| 1915 | 10.1 | 1.0% | $33.36 |
| 1914 | 10 | 1.0% | $33.69 |
| 1913 | 9.9 | — | $34.03 |
* 2026: 12-month change to September 2026; the full-year average is published in January 2027.
US inflation by era
- 1917–1920: World War I price surge, peaking near 18% a year, followed by sharp deflation in 1921.
- 1930–1933: Great Depression deflation — prices fell about a quarter.
- 1946–1948 and 1951: post-war and Korean War spikes after price controls ended.
- 1973–1981: the Great Inflation, driven by oil shocks; 13.5% in 1980.
- 1983–2020: mostly 1–4%, with a dip to −0.4% in 2009.
- 2021–2023: post-pandemic surge, 8.0% in 2022, the highest in four decades.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted, series CUUR0000SA0 (1982–84 = 100). Annual averages 1913–2025; 2026 uses the latest month published, September 2026. Data retrieved October 18, 2026 from bls.gov/cpi.
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Frequently asked questions
What was the inflation rate in 2025?
The 2025 annual average CPI-U was 321.943, 2.6% higher than the 2024 average of 313.689.
What is the average US inflation rate?
About 3.0% a year over the last 100 years (1925–2025) and 2.5% over the last 30 years, compounded.
What year had the highest inflation?
1918, at 18.0%, during the World War I price surge. The modern peak was 1980 at 13.5%.
Why does this table differ from December-to-December figures?
This table compares annual average price levels, which is how BLS reports yearly inflation in its annual tables. December-to-December changes measure the price change within a calendar year and can differ by a point or more.