U.S. Inflation Rate History Chart
See how U.S. consumer-price inflation has changed by year. This chart uses the official CPI-U annual-average inflation rate published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
U.S. Annual Inflation Rate
ChartMaker opens the currently selected range. The CSV contains the complete checked-in dataset.
What this inflation chart measures
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) tracks the average change over time in prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of goods and services. This chart shows the BLS annual-average percent change: each year’s average index is compared with the previous year’s average.
Annual inflation is not a monthly reading
An annual-average rate summarizes the entire calendar year. It can differ from the commonly reported December-to-December rate or a single month’s 12-month change. Use the values here for long-run yearly comparisons, not as a current-month inflation reading.
How to read the history
Positive values mean the annual average price level increased from the prior year. Negative values indicate deflation. The chart helps compare broad periods, but it does not show how inflation varied from month to month or how individual households experienced price changes.
Limits and appropriate use
CPI-U is a national average and does not represent every region, household, or spending pattern. Historical methods and spending weights have evolved. This page presents public statistical data for reference and charting; it is not financial advice.
Historical data table
112 observations · Annual
| Year | Annual inflation rate |
|---|---|
| 1914 | 1.0% |
| 1915 | 1.0% |
| 1916 | 7.9% |
| 1917 | 17.4% |
| 1918 | 18.0% |
| 1919 | 14.6% |
| 1920 | 15.6% |
| 1921 | -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% |
| 1931 | -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% |
| 1941 | 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% |
| 1951 | 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% |
| 1961 | 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% |
| 1971 | 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% |
| 1981 | 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% |
| 1991 | 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% |
| 2001 | 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% |
| 2011 | 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% |
| 2021 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | 2.6% |
About this dataset
- Provider
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Units
- Percent
- Frequency
- Annual
- Latest observation
- 2025
- Data retrieved
- 2026-09-22
Transformation
The plotted values are the BLS-published percent change in the annual CPI-U average from the previous annual average. Values are reproduced at the one-decimal precision published by BLS; no seasonal adjustment or further calculation is applied.
Reuse and attribution
BLS states that its published information is generally in the public domain and requests source attribution. Read the provider’s reuse guidance.