Data
Average US inflation over the last 10, 20 and 30 years
What average yearly inflation in the US was over the last 10, 20 and 30 years, how much prices rose, what cash lost, the highest and lowest year, and how it compares with the Fed target and other countries.
Published October 24, 2026
Average inflation in the US was 3.1% a year over the last 10 years (2015–2025), 2.5% over 20 years and 2.5% over 30 years. Prices rose by 36% in those 10 years. If you put $1,000 in a drawer in 2015, today it buys what $736 bought then.
- Inflation
- Fed target (2%)
2025
- Inflation2.6%
- Fed target (2%)2%
Change of average prices in a year against the year before. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U.
| Period | Average inflation a year | Prices rose by | Buying power left |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–2025 | 3.1% | +36% | 74% |
| 2005–2025 | 2.5% | +65% | 61% |
| 1995–2025 | 2.5% | +111% | 47% |
The highest and the lowest year
Over the last 30 years, inflation was highest in 2022: 8.0%. It was lowest in 2009: -0.4%, when prices actually fell. An average hides large differences between single years.
Against the Fed's target
The Fed aims at inflation of 2% a year. The average of the last 10 years, 3.1%, is above the target. Inflation was above today's target in 7 of the last 10 years. The Fed set its 2% goal formally only in 2012; we compare with today's target.
Other countries
| Country | 10-year average | 20-year average |
|---|---|---|
| France | 1.9% | 1.6% |
| Spain | 2.4% | 2.1% |
| Germany | 2.6% | 2.0% |
| United States | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Czechia | 4.5% | 3.3% |
| Poland | 4.7% | 3.4% |
| Romania | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Hungary | 5.6% | 4.7% |
| Ukraine | 11.1% | 12.2% |
Over the last 10 years the US ranks 4 of 9 countries. The lowest average was in France (1.9%), the highest in Ukraine (11.1%).
What it means for savings
Money that just sits loses buying power at the rate of inflation. To keep its value, savings have to earn at least the inflation rate after tax: 3.1% a year over the last 10 years. Over 30 years, the buying power of cash fell to 47%.
The inflation calculator works out what an amount from any year is worth today. A worked example is in What $1,000 from 2000 is worth today.
Work it out for yourself
Inflation calculator
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Data sources
- OECD, Consumer price indices (COICOP 2018), national CPI, all items
- OECD, Consumer price indices (COICOP 1999), national CPI, all items
- Destatis, consumer price index for Germany (2020 = 100, via Deutsche Bundesbank)
- Eurostat, HICP – Romania, yearly average (prc_hicp_aind)
- State Statistics Service of Ukraine, CPI year on year (via National Bank of Ukraine)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (FRED CPIAUCNS)
- Federal Reserve, Why does the Federal Reserve aim for inflation of 2 percent over the longer run?
The article is for information only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. The numbers come straight from the sources above and change when they are updated.