What the US inflation rate measures
The inflation rate on this chart compares the CPI-U – the consumer price index covering all urban consumers – with its level twelve months before, expressed as a percentage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics builds the CPI from roughly 80,000 prices collected every month – rent, groceries, gasoline, car insurance, doctor visits, airline fares and hundreds of other items – weighted by how much households actually spend on each. It is the inflation figure quoted in the news on CPI release day, usually around the middle of the month.
How to read this chart
Each point answers one question: how much more did the same basket of goods and services cost than twelve months before? A reading of 3% means prices are rising, not falling – a drop from 5% to 3% is disinflation, while only readings below zero are deflation. Use the Max range to see the extremes of the World War I era and the Great Depression, and the 10-year range to follow the 2021–2023 surge and its aftermath. A blank month in late 2025 is a real gap: that CPI report was never published because of a federal government shutdown.
The latest reading in context
- At 3.7%, the latest reading is below its 5-year average of 4.4% and above its 10-year average of 3.3%.
- Of all 1352 monthly readings since January 1914, 68% were lower than today’s and 32% were higher.
- Direction: up 0.3 points over the past month; up 0.5 points over the past six months; up 0.7 points over the past year.
- The highest value on record is 23.7% (June 1920, 106 years ago); the lowest is −15.8% (June 1921, 105 years ago).
- The full history spans 20 US recessions, shaded grey on the chart.
Why it matters
Inflation decides what a paycheck, a savings account or a pension is really worth. Social Security benefits and federal tax brackets are adjusted with CPI data each year, many wage contracts and rents are indexed to it, and TIPS and I bonds pay interest linked to it. It is also the number most likely to move markets and Federal Reserve policy, even though the Fed formally targets a different measure, PCE inflation.
What moves the US inflation rate
- Energy and food prices, which swing the headline number month to month
- Shelter costs – rent and owners’ equivalent rent are about a third of the index
- Wage growth and labor-market tightness
- Supply shocks such as the 2021–2022 supply-chain bottlenecks
- Monetary policy, with a lag of a year or more
Key moments in its history
- 1920Post-World War I inflation peaked near 24%, followed by sharp deflation in 1921.
- 1930–1933Prices fell for four years during the Great Depression.
- 1980Peaked near 15% after the oil shocks of the 1970s.
- 2009Briefly negative as energy prices collapsed in the recession.
- Jun 2022Reached 9.1%, the highest in more than 40 years.
US Inflation Rate data tables
Average by decade
| Decade | Average | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s (so far) | 3.9% | 9.1% | 0.1% |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 3.9% | −0.2% |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 5.6% | −2.1% |
| 1990s | 3.0% | 6.3% | 1.4% |
| 1980s | 5.6% | 14.8% | 1.1% |
| 1970s | 7.1% | 13.3% | 2.7% |
| 1960s | 2.3% | 6.2% | 0.7% |
| 1950s | 2.1% | 9.4% | −2.1% |
| 1940s | 5.7% | 19.7% | −2.9% |
| 1930s | −1.9% | 5.6% | −10.7% |
| 1920s | 0.1% | 23.7% | −15.8% |
| 1910s | 10.0% | 20.7% | −1.0% |
Last 12 months
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 3.7% | +0.3 pts |
| Aug 2026 | 3.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Jul 2026 | 3.4% | −0.2 pts |
| Jun 2026 | 3.5% | −0.7 pts |
| May 2026 | 4.2% | +0.4 pts |
| Apr 2026 | 3.8% | +0.6 pts |
| Mar 2026 | 3.3% | +0.8 pts |
| Feb 2026 | 2.4% | 0.0 pts |
| Jan 2026 | 2.4% | −0.3 pts |
| Dec 2025 | 2.7% | −0.1 pts |
| Nov 2025 | 2.7% | |
| Oct 2025 | n/a | not published |
Monthly values. Decade figures are averages of the monthly values in each decade. The complete history is available as a CSV file.
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US Inflation Rate: questions and answers
How is the US inflation rate calculated?
The BLS compares the Consumer Price Index for a month with the index for the same month a year earlier. A 3% inflation rate means the CPI basket cost 3% more than twelve months before.
What is a good inflation rate?
Most central banks, including the Federal Reserve, aim for about 2% a year. Low, stable inflation lets people plan without prices eroding savings quickly, while avoiding the risks of deflation.
Why does my personal inflation feel different?
The CPI reflects the spending pattern of an average urban household. If you rent, drive a lot or spend heavily on one category such as childcare or medical care, your own inflation rate can be well above or below the official number.
Where does the data on this chart come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ChartWidgets downloads the series (CPIAUCNS) from FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis database, and checks for new releases every day. The last update was on November 1, 2026.