Historical US Inflation Reference
Average yearly change in the US consumer price index by decade, calculated from the same data the calculator uses.
| Decade | Average Annual CPI Inflation | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | -0.1% | -1.2% over 10 years |
| 1930s | -2.1% | -18.7% over 10 years |
| 1940s | 5.5% | 71.3% over 10 years |
| 1950s | 2.0% | 22.4% over 10 years |
| 1960s | 2.3% | 25.8% over 10 years |
| 1970s | 7.1% | 97.9% over 10 years |
| 1980s | 5.5% | 70.8% over 10 years |
| 1990s | 3.0% | 34.4% over 10 years |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 28.8% over 10 years |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 19.1% over 10 years |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 25.9% over 6 years |
The 1930s show deflation: prices fell during the Great Depression. The 1970s and early 1980s were the worst peacetime inflation in modern US history, which is why the Federal Reserve raised rates to nearly 20% in 1981.
Inflation across Europe
Latest full-year and most recent annual inflation from Eurostat's harmonised index (HICP), which measures prices the same way in every EU country.
| Country | Prices since 2000 | Last full year |
|---|---|---|
| Euro area | +69% | 2.1% (2025) |
| Belgium | +81% | 3.0% (2025) |
| Denmark | +57% | 1.8% (2025) |
| Germany | +67% | 2.3% (2025) |
| Ireland | +58% | 2.1% (2025) |
| Spain | +78% | 2.7% (2025) |
| France | +59% | 0.9% (2025) |
| Croatia | +99% | 4.4% (2025) |
| Italy | +67% | 1.7% (2025) |
| Netherlands | +82% | 3.0% (2025) |
| Austria | +85% | 3.6% (2025) |
| Finland | +59% | 1.8% (2025) |
| Sweden | +66% | 2.6% (2025) |
How the calculation works
A price index tracks what a fixed basket of goods and services costs. To move an amount from one year to another, multiply it by the ratio of the two index levels: value in year B = amount × index(B) ÷ index(A). We use yearly averages for full years and the latest monthly figure for the current year, the same method used by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bank of England in their own calculators.
Indexes measure an average household. Your own inflation depends on what you buy: rent, childcare and insurance have risen faster than electronics or clothing for decades.
Protecting savings from inflation
Money in a current account loses buying power every year prices rise. To keep up, savings must earn at least the inflation rate after tax. Options include high-yield savings when rates exceed inflation, inflation-linked government bonds (TIPS and I bonds in the US, index-linked gilts in the UK), and, for long horizons, a diversified stock portfolio, which has historically beaten inflation by several points a year.