Three charts that explain most of what is happening to your money: how fast prices are rising, what central banks are doing with interest rates, and how much prices have climbed over two decades. All figures come from official statistics offices and central banks, and we update them every month.
Inflation: how fast prices are rising
Annual change in consumer prices, % — United States (CPI), Spain (CPI) and the euro area (HICP).
Interest rates: Federal Reserve vs European Central Bank
Fed funds target (upper bound) and ECB deposit facility rate, %, end of each month.
Prices over the long run
Consumer price level, annual average, rebased so that 2002 = 100. A value of 160 means prices are 60% higher than in 2002.
How to read these charts
- Inflation is the yearly change in consumer prices. Central banks usually aim for about 2%. When it runs well above that, they tend to raise interest rates. See our plain-English guide to inflation.
- Interest rates set by the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank feed through to mortgages, loans and savings accounts. A step up in the chart means borrowing got more expensive. Read what a rate rise means for you.
- The long-run price level shows the total effect of inflation over time. Try our inflation calculator to see what a sum of money from any year is worth today.
Sources and method
- United States: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).
- Spain: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Índice de Precios de Consumo (IPC).
- Euro area: Eurostat, Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP).
- Interest rates: Federal Reserve (FOMC target range, upper bound) and European Central Bank (deposit facility rate), by effective date.
- Monthly figures are updated after each official release. The latest month shown is the latest final figure; flash estimates are reported in our news coverage and economic calendar.
More tools: Inflation calculator · Mortgage calculator · Compound interest calculator · Electricity cost calculator · Glossary · Economic calendar
Built by The Daily Economy editorial team with AI assistance. For general information only — not financial advice. Read our editorial policy and how we use AI.