US CPI Series: Historical Inflation Data (1913-2025)

The CPI is a measure of the average change in prices paid by consumers over time. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates the CPI by tracking prices of a large basket of goods and services purchased by urban consumers: food, housing, transportation, medical care, education, and more. The CPI-U (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers) is the most commonly used measure and covers about 93% of the US population. The index is set to 100 for the period 1982-1984, so a CPI of 300 means prices have tripled since 1982-1984.

Find the CPI value for the year you are interested in. The year-over-year percentage shows inflation from the previous year. For example, CPI in 2022 was 296.8, up from 270.9 in 2021, representing 8.0% inflation. To adjust a dollar amount between two years, use the inflation calculator on this page: enter the amount, from-year, to-year, and it calculates the inflation-adjusted equivalent using this official BLS data.

Major inflation spikes occurred after World War II (1945-1950), during the 1970s oil crises and stagflation, and in 2021-2022 following pandemic stimulus and supply disruptions. Deflation (negative inflation) is rare but occurred in the early 1930s (Great Depression) and briefly in 2009 (financial crisis). The 2022 spike to 8.0% was the highest annual inflation in 40 years, driven by energy prices, supply chain issues, and expansive fiscal and monetary policy.

The CPI is used to adjust Social Security benefits, measure real wage growth (wages vs. inflation), set inflation expectations for the Federal Reserve's interest-rate decisions, and inform business and consumer decisions. A nominal 5% raise means nothing if inflation is 5%. Real wage growth is nominal growth minus inflation. Understanding historical CPI helps you assess investment returns (real return = nominal return minus inflation) and plan long-term finances.

No. The BLS publishes several CPI measures: CPI-U (all urban consumers), CPI-W (urban wage earners and clerical workers), and CPE (Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, which accounts for consumer substitution). There is also the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index calculated by the Federal Reserve. The CPI-U is the most widely cited and is used for Social Security and federal pension adjustments. This table uses CPI-U annual averages.

This page reflects CPI-U data through 2024. The BLS releases monthly CPI data around the 10th of the following month, with annual averages confirmed by year-end. For the most up-to-date data (current month), visit the BLS website at bls.gov/cpi. This tool is updated periodically; see the last-verified date at the top of the page.