🇺🇸US2.4%
🇬🇧UK2.8%
🇮🇳India4.9%
🇵🇰Pakistan11.2%
🇹🇷Turkey28.6%
🇦🇷Argentina30.4%
IMF · BLS · World Bank · 2026
Free tool — no sign-up needed
Compare 26 countries side by side
2000–2026 annual CPI history
Purchasing power calculator
Investment vs inflation — see your real returns
Did your salary beat inflation?
Data: IMF · World Bank · BLS

The free inflation tracker
for the whole world

Six tools, 26 countries, 27 years of data. Compare inflation, calculate purchasing power, check if your investments beat inflation, and see if your salary kept up. Powered by IMF, World Bank & BLS. No sign-up, no ads.

26Countries
2000Data starts
6Tools
FreeAlways

Compare inflation between countries

Side-by-side 2026 annual consumer price inflation across 25+ economies

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2026. Annual CPI inflation (%).

Inflation heatmap — all 26 tracked economies (2026)
Low
Very high

Darker red = higher inflation. ▲ / ▼ shows the trend versus 2025.

How to use this tool

1
Select any two countries from the dropdowns above — choose the ones you want to compare.
2
The four metric cards instantly show each country's 2026 rate, the prior year rate, and the difference between them.
3
Scroll down for the full global table ranked from highest to lowest inflation — with trend arrows showing whether each country is easing or rising.

What the numbers mean

The figures shown are annual consumer price inflation (CPI) — the percentage increase in the average price of a basket of everyday goods and services over the prior 12 months. A rate of 5% means prices on average are 5% higher than a year ago.

Not all inflation is equal. Turkey (28.6%) and Argentina (30.4%) are experiencing structural high inflation driven by currency weakness and fiscal deficits. China (0.7%) and Japan (2.1%) face the opposite challenge — growth is so weak that prices barely rise, which can signal economic stagnation. The US (2.4%) and most of Europe are close to central bank targets of ~2%.

🌍
26 countries tracked
From the G7 to emerging markets — all using IMF World Economic Outlook April 2026 data.
📉
Trend arrows
Green ↓ Easing means inflation is falling vs 2025. Red ↑ Rising means it's accelerating.
⚖️
Why compare?
High inflation gaps between countries affect trade, currency exchange rates, and investment returns.
Data source: IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2026 edition. Annual consumer price index (CPI) inflation. 2026 figures are IMF projections published in April 2026.

Methodology

Every tool on this site is built on top of one core figure: a country's annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate, as published by the IMF, World Bank, or national statistics agencies. From there, calculators like purchasing power and salary tracking simply compound that same rate across the years you choose.

Annual inflation rate
Inflation Rate (%) = ((CPIthis year − CPIlast year) / CPIlast year) × 100

Each tool page has its own methodology section with the specific formula and a worked example. Full source list: Data Sources.

Choose a tool

Country Compare
Compare 2026 inflation rates between any two of 26 countries — ranked global table included.
Open tool
Inflation vs Investment
See if your investment beat inflation. Local benchmarks auto-match your selected country.
Open tool
Categories
Food, housing, energy, healthcare — see which categories are inflating fastest.
Open tool
Purchasing Power
Calculate exactly how much purchasing power your money has lost since any year.
Open tool
Historical Trends
27 years of inflation trends — from the dot-com bust to the 2022 shock.
Open tool
Salary Tracker
Did your raise outpace inflation? Find your real salary change instantly.
Open tool

US & global inflation data: 2000 to 2026

Inflation Compass tracks 27 years of consumer price inflation across 25+ countries. Covering three distinct US inflation eras: the benign 2000s (avg 2.6%), the below-target 2010s (avg 1.8%), and the turbulent 2020s (avg 4.4%) — which included the highest US inflation in 40 years at 8.0% in 2022. The new Inflation vs Investment tool shows whether your portfolio actually grew in real terms after inflation.

All US data uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) CPI-U series. Global data from the IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026) and World Bank WDI.

2008 — 0.1% (US)

Financial crisis deflation scare. Oil crashed from $147 to $40/barrel. US briefly near-zero inflation.

2022 — 8.0% (US)

40-year high. COVID stimulus, supply chains, Ukraine war. Fed hiked rates from 0% to 5%+ in 18 months.

S&P 500 real return

~7.6% average real annual return 2000–2026 after subtracting US inflation — significantly ahead of any savings account.

2026 — 2.4% (US)

Near the Fed's 2% target. Housing (4.2%) remains sticky; goods and energy inflation have normalized.

Frequently asked questions — US inflation & investments

The US annual inflation rate is estimated at 2.4% in 2026, near the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Housing (4.2%) and education (4.5%) remain the stickiest components, while energy and goods prices have moderated from their 2022 peaks. Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2026.
Yes, significantly. The S&P 500 averaged roughly 10% nominal annual returns from 2000 to 2026. After subtracting average US inflation of ~2.4%, that's approximately 7.6% average real return per year. A $10,000 investment in 2000 would be worth roughly $112,000 nominally by 2026 — but about $65,000 in 2000 dollars after adjusting for inflation. Use the Inflation vs Investment tab to calculate any specific time period.
US inflation peaked at 8.0% in 2022 — a 40-year high — due to: (1) massive COVID-era fiscal stimulus (CARES Act, American Rescue Plan) while supply was constrained; (2) global supply chain bottlenecks; (3) Russia's invasion of Ukraine driving energy and food prices sharply higher; and (4) pent-up consumer demand. The Federal Reserve raised rates from near 0% to over 5%, the fastest hiking cycle in four decades.
For most of the 2000–2026 period, no — savings accounts have not beaten US inflation. Average US savings account rates were 0.5–2.0% for much of this period, while average inflation was ~2.4%. The real return on savings has been slightly negative for most years, meaning money kept in a savings account gradually lost purchasing power. High-yield savings accounts and money market accounts performed better, especially after 2022 when rates rose sharply.
Due to cumulative US inflation from 2000 to 2026, $1 in 2000 is worth approximately $0.59 today — you need about $1.70 today to buy what $1 bought in 2000. That's ~70% cumulative inflation over 26 years. Use the Purchasing Power Calculator tab to calculate any amount and date range.
US data: BLS CPI-U series. Global country data: IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026) and World Bank WDI. Category breakdowns: BLS CPI sub-indices (US) and IMF sector estimates (other countries). Investment benchmarks are long-run historical averages from publicly available sources. 2025–2026 are IMF projections.