Inflation United States 2020

Average inflation: 1.2%

Current Inflation

Inflation is low at 1.2%, below the ECB target of 2%.

Peak and Trough

The highest inflation was in January at 2.5%. The lowest inflation was in May at 0.1%.

Highest month
January: 2.5%
Lowest month
May: 0.1%
Difference
2.4 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 3.5%. The lowest price increase was in Clothing and footwear with an average of -4.5%.

Highest increase
Food and non-alcoholic beverages: 3.5%
Lowest increase
Clothing and footwear: -4.5%

Historical Context

Current inflation is 0.6% lower than the 5-year average of 1.8%.

5-year average
1.8%
10-year average
1.7%
All-time high (2008)
3.9%
All-time low (2009)
-0.3%

Trend

Inflation shows a downward trend. Compared to 2019, inflation has fallen by +0.6 percentage point.

Change vs. previous year
-0.6 percentage points
Largest monthly swing
April: -1.7 percentage points

ECB Target

Inflation is 0.8% below the ECB target of 2.0%. Too low inflation may indicate economic weakness.

Purchasing Power

At this inflation rate, purchasing power gradually decreases. The impact on daily expenses is relatively limited.

What you could buy for €100 this year will cost approximately €101.20 next year at this inflation rate.

Multi-year trend

Monthly figures 2020

Inflation by category

Food and non-alcoholic beverages
3.5%
+2.3vs avg.
More details →
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics
3.4%
+2.2vs avg.
More details →
Clothing and footwear
-4.5%
-5.7vs avg.
More details →
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels
2.6%
+1.4vs avg.
More details →
Furnishings, household equipment and maintenance
1.8%
+0.6vs avg.
More details →
Health
2.3%
+1.1vs avg.
More details →
Transport
-4.2%
-5.4vs avg.
More details →
Communication
2.4%
+1.2vs avg.
More details →
Recreation and culture
1.1%
-0.1vs avg.
More details →
Education
2.0%
+0.8vs avg.
More details →
Restaurants and hotels
1.5%
+0.3vs avg.
More details →
Miscellaneous goods and services
2.1%
+0.9vs avg.
More details →

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

Month overview

Month Inflation Difference vs. 2019
January 2.5% +0.9
February 2.3% +0.8
March 1.5% -0.4
April 0.3% -1.7
May 0.1% -1.7
June 0.6% -1.0
July 1.0% -0.8
August 1.3% -0.4
September 1.4% -0.3
October 1.2% -0.6
November 1.2% -0.9
December 1.4% -0.9
Average 1.2%

Data source

Data from OECD. Last updated: 13/01/2026.

See also