Historical US average inflation rates are tracked by the US Government and a host of organizations that compile and publish economic and inflation statistics. Annual inflation rate information is presented here on an annualized basis. The annual inflation rates are given as average inflation rates for the year. It should be understood that monthly inflation rates underlie these annual average inflation rates. It is interesting to note that the United States has seen several periods of significantly high inflation as well as periods of negative inflation, also known as deflation. These deflationary periods typically coincide with significant economic downturns, where demand for goods and services dries up, resulting in an overhang of excess supply of products and a resulting deflationary spiral that could last for several years, depending on the severity of the economic downturn.
YEAR | AVERAGE ANNUAL INFLATION RATE | YEAR | AVERAGE ANNUAL INFLATION RATE |
|---|---|---|---|
2008 | 4.55% | 1961 | 1.07% |
2007 | 2.85% | 1960 | 1.46% |
2006 | 3.24% | 1959 | 1.01% |
2005 | 3.39% | 1958 | 2.73% |
2004 | 2.68% | 1957 | 3.34% |
2003 | 2.27% | 1956 | 1.52% |
2002 | 1.59% | 1955 | -0.28% |
2001 | 2.83% | 1954 | 0.32% |
2000 | 3.38% | 1953 | 0.82% |
1999 | 2.19% | 1952 | 2.29% |
1998 | 1.55% | 1951 | 7.88% |
1997 | 2.34% | 1950 | 1.09% |
1996 | 2.93% | 1949 | -0.95% |
1995 | 2.81% | 1948 | 7.74% |
1994 | 2.61% | 1947 | 14.65% |
1993 | 2.96% | 1946 | 8.43% |
1992 | 3.03% | 1945 | 2.27% |
1991 | 4.25% | 1944 | 1.64% |
1990 | 5.39% | 1943 | 6.00% |
1989 | 4.83% | 1942 | 10.97% |
1988 | 4.08% | 1941 | 5.11% |
1987 | 3.66% | 1940 | 0.73% |
1986 | 1.91% | 1939 | -1.30% |
1985 | 3.55% | 1938 | -2.01% |
1984 | 4.30% | 1937 | 3.73% |
1983 | 3.22% | 1936 | 1.04% |
1982 | 6.16% | 1935 | 2.56% |
1981 | 10.35% | 1934 | 3.51% |
1980 | 13.58% | 1933 | -5.09% |
1979 | 11.22% | 1932 | -10.30% |
1978 | 7.62% | 1931 | -8.94% |
1977 | 6.50% | 1930 | -2.66% |
1976 | 5.75% | 1929 | 0.00 |
1975 | 9.20% | 1928 | -1.15% |
1974 | 11.03% | 1927 | -1.92% |
1973 | 6.16% | 1926 | 0.94% |
1972 | 3.27% | 1925 | 2.44% |
1971 | 4.30% | 1924 | 0.45% |
1970 | 5.84% | 1923 | 1.80% |
1969 | 5.46% | 1922 | -6.10% |
1968 | 4.27% | 1921 | -10.85% |
1967 | 2.78% | 1920 | 15.90% |
1966 | 3.01% | 1919 | 15.31% |
1965 | 1.59% | 1918 | 17.26% |
1964 | 1.28% | 1917 | 17.70% |
1963 | 1.24% | 1916 | 7.64% |
1962 | 1.20% | 1915 | 0.92% |
|
| 1914 | 1.35% |
