Free tool
Inflation calculator
US consumer prices rose by 42.2% from 2015 to September 2026: what cost $1,000 then costs $1,422 today (BLS, CPI-U). The calculator does this for any year, for the US since 1913 and the euro area since 1996.
How it is calculated
Value today = amount × index(today) ÷ index(back then). “Back then” is the annual average of the price index, “today” the latest published month. The average inflation per year is (index(today) ÷ index(back then))1/years − 1.
Frequently asked questions
Which price index is used?
For the US the Consumer Price Index CPI-U from the BLS, for the euro area and the European countries Eurostat’s Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP).
Why the annual average?
An annual average smooths out swings in single months. For “today” the calculator uses the latest month, so current inflation is included.
Why does my own inflation feel different?
The index measures an average basket of goods. If you spend more than average on rent, energy or food, you experience different inflation.
Source
United States: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, CUUR0000SA0), public domain. Europe: Eurostat, HICP by ECOICOP 2 (prc_hicp_ainr, prc_hicp_minr), 2025 = 100, reuse with attribution. The calculation is DESK’s.
DESK is a research tool. This calculator shows arithmetic, not a recommendation: it is not investment, tax or financial advice, and past values say nothing about the future.
Weekly report + macro calendar, free
Every Saturday the week in numbers – the DESK weekly report by email; when you sign up, the macro calendar for the quarter as a PDF straight away. Plus DESK Alerts on Telegram: only the market moves that matter, every number with its source.
Embed this calculator
Free for blogs and websites: copy the code and paste it into your page. The calculator loads from deskalmanac.com, without cookies and without ads.
More free tools: Compound interest calculator · Currency converter (ECB rates) · Withdrawal calculator · Real return calculator · Position size calculator · Stock market hours · Central bank rates compared · Economic calendar this week · Loan & mortgage calculator
This is one page of many.
- More than 900 indicators per country, each with its history and source.
- An economic calendar that shows each new figure the moment the agency publishes it.
- A portfolio in your own currency, a trading journal and your own statistics.
Also open to read: US inflation rate · Inflation, explained · Weekly report archive
DESK is a research tool and not investment advice. Page generated: 2026-10-15.