The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a widely used measure of inflation. It tracks the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. Understanding how to calculate the CPI inflation rate is crucial for assessing the economic health of a country and making informed financial decisions.
The formula for calculating the inflation rate between two periods using the CPI is straightforward:
**Inflation Rate = [ (CPI in Current Period – CPI in Previous Period) / CPI in Previous Period ] * 100**
Let's break down the components:
* **CPI in Current Period:** This is the Consumer Price Index for the most recent period you are analyzing (e.g., the current month or year).
* **CPI in Previous Period:** This is the Consumer Price Index for the earlier period you are comparing against (e.g., the previous month or year).
This calculator will help you quickly determine the inflation rate based on the CPI values for two different periods.