Inflation France 1973

Average inflation: 7.4%

Current Inflation

Inflation is very high at 7.4%, far above the ECB target.

Peak and Trough

The highest inflation was in December at 8.5%. The lowest inflation was in February at 6.3%.

Highest month
December: 8.5%
Lowest month
February: 6.3%
Difference
2.2 percentage points
Months with data
12 of 12

Category Insights

The highest price increase was in Food and non-alcoholic beverages with an average of 9.8%. The lowest price increase was in Food and non-alcoholic beverages with an average of 9.8%.

Highest increase
Food and non-alcoholic beverages: 9.8%
Lowest increase
Food and non-alcoholic beverages: 9.8%

Historical Context

Current inflation is 1.4% higher than the 5-year average of 6.0%.

5-year average
6%
10-year average
4.6%
All-time high (1958)
15.3%
All-time low (1956)
1.9%

Trend

Inflation shows an upward trend. Compared to 1972, inflation has risen by +1.3 percentage point.

Change vs. previous year
+1.3 percentage points
Largest monthly swing
June: +1.8 percentage points

ECB Target

Inflation is 5.4% above the ECB target of 2.0%. This means purchasing power is declining faster than intended.

Purchasing Power

At this high inflation rate, purchasing power rapidly decreases. This has a major impact on households, especially without adequate salary increases.

What you could buy for €100 this year will cost approximately €107.40 next year at this inflation rate.

Multi-year trend

Monthly figures 1973

Inflation by category

Food and non-alcoholic beverages
9.8%
+2.4vs avg.
More details →

Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.

Month overview

Month Inflation Difference vs. 1972
January 6.6% +0.9
February 6.3% +0.6
March 6.4% +0.6
April 6.7% +1.1
May 7.2% +1.8
June 7.4% +1.8
July 7.4% +1.4
August 7.6% +1.5
September 7.9% +1.6
October 8.1% +1.5
November 8.4% +1.5
December 8.5% +1.6
Average 7.4%

Data source

Data from OECD. Last updated: 20/12/2025.

See also