USA: Inflation

The latest value from 2023 is 4.1 percent, a decline from 8 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 10.0 percent, based on data from 149 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1960 to 2023 is 3.8 percent. The minimum value, -0.4 percent, was reached in 2009 while the maximum of 13.5 percent was recorded in 1980. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

Inflation in the USA and other countries is usually calculated as the percent change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from one year to the next. The CPI represents the prices paid by the average urban consumer in each respective country. Inflation can also be calculated with other price indexes such as the Produce Price Index or the so-called GDP deflator.

Most countries try to keep inflation somewhere around 2-3 percent per year. That is too low to cause any problems for the businesses and households. At the same time, it is comfortably away from negative inflation, i.e. from deflation. Of course, this target is often missed.

Definition: Inflation as measured by the consumer price index reflects the annual percentage change in the cost to the average consumer of acquiring a basket of goods and services that may be fixed or changed at specified intervals, such as yearly. The Laspeyres formula is generally used.