Annual Inflation Rates From 2018 to 2026 Added Up to a 34% Price Increase
The Fact
Using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), yearly inflation was 2.49% in 2018, 1.76% in 2019, 1.23% in 2020, 4.70% in 2021, 8.00% in 2022, 4.12% in 2023, 2.89% in 2024, and 2.76% in 2025. Prices in 2026 were 34.12% higher than in 2018.
What This Means
The inflation rate on the news is one year's change. Each year's rise is added on top of the last one. Prices do not reset when a new year starts.
Why It Matters
A small-sounding rate every year adds up to a big change in what your paycheck can buy.
Sources
OfficialData.org. “$72,000 in 2018 → 2026 | Inflation Calculator,” using BLS CPI-U data. https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/2018?amount=72000
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Consumer Price Index: Questions and Answers.” https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-and-answers.htm