Topic

Inflation & prices

Follow this topic to get its latest charts in your For you feed.

Diverging bar chart of U.S. price changes since January 2000. Bars extend right for rises: hospital services +293%, college tuition +199%, textbooks and supplies +184%, child care +161%, electricity +153%, medical care +152%, hourly wages +133%, housing +117%, food and drink +108%, overall inflation +98%, new vehicles +25%, clothing +6%. Bars extend left for falls: furniture and bedding 0%, cellphone service −44%, software −67%, toys −73%, televisions −98%.

Economy

What got expensive — and what got cheap

Since January 2000, U.S. hospital care has nearly quadrupled in price and college tuition tripled, while TVs, toys and software collapsed. Average hourly wages rose 133% — beating overall inflation, but far behind the essentials.

Chartive EditorialAug 29, 2026

Diverging bar chart of U.S. CPI category change from 2000 to 2025: hospital services up 274%, televisions down 98%, with overall CPI up 87%.

Economy

What got more expensive — and what got cheaper since 2000

Change in selected U.S. Consumer Price Index categories, using annual averages for 2000 and 2025.

Chartive EditorialAug 14, 2026

Line chart, 1974–2024, of U.S. real GDP per capita (ending at index 242) rising far above real median personal income (ending at index 157), both indexed to 1974 = 100.

Economy

America got richer. The median income didn’t keep up.

Real economic output per person rose much faster than the median person’s inflation-adjusted money income over the last 50 years.

Chartive EditorialAug 14, 2026