InflationData.com

Your Place in Cyber Space for Inflation Data

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Today’s Featured Post

Updated Cumulative Inflation Calculator

We've updated and modernized our Cumulative Inflation Calculator. We've made it faster and fixed the bugs. It will calculate the total cumulative inflation from any month since January 1913 to any other month up to the most recent CPI release. It will also tell you how much your starting amount would be after experiencing that amount of inflation. We've also updated our "How much would it cost calculator," and added an estimated flat rate inflation calculator both forward and backward. So now … [Read More...]

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Inflation Definitions

  • Inflation is often defined as "an increase in the price you pay for goods" or a "decline in the purchasing power of your money".
  • Inflation causes - price inflation is often caused by an increase in the money supply thus decreasing the actual value of each individual unit of currency.
  • Core Inflation is used primarily by academics to calculate the underlying inflation rate based on an increase in the money supply and is not terribly relevant to the average consumer because it doesn't include the volatile food and energy components.
  • Hyperinflation is typically associated with Weimar Germany but other well-known cases include Confederate Civil War Inflation and Zimbabwean Hyperinflation. Although there is no absolute pecentage where ordinary inflation turns into "hyperinflation" typically hyperinflation gets progressively worse until the economy implodes.

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    Deflation Definitions

  • Deflation is generally considered to be "falling prices". But it has a variety of causes and can be either good or bad for an economy depending on its cause.
  • Disinflationis a slowing or decrease in the rate of inflation. It is not to be confused with deflation which is actual falling prices. In disinflation prices are still rising simply not as fast as they once were.
  • The term Agflation was coined in 2007 by Merrill Lynch analysts to describe the economic condition at the time whereby rising demand for agricultural products was driving up overall prices. The primary driver of agricultural prices was legislation requiring ethanol use in gasoline, thus increasing demand for corn.
  • The term Stagflation was coined during the 1970's to describe the inflationary but stagnant economic conditions.