Compare inflation between countries

See how prices have risen in different countries since any year

Compare inflation in up to five countries side by side: see how far prices have risen in each since any year, and how each year's inflation differed, from each country's official consumer price index.

Prices do not rise at the same pace everywhere, not even in countries that share a currency. With this calculator you can put up to five countries side by side and see how far apart their prices have drifted since any year.

Compare inflation between countries

Pick the countries at the top and the years with the sliders. Prices shows each country's price level with the start year set to 100, so the lines show how much prices have risen in total: a country at 160 has seen prices rise 60% since the start year. Annual inflation shows each year's inflation instead, which is where episodes such as the oil crises of the 1970s or the energy crisis of 2022 stand out. The table above the chart gives the total price rise and the average yearly inflation in each country over the years you picked.

Why inflation differs between countries

• What people buy. Where food and energy take a larger share of household spending, a rise in their prices moves the whole index more.
• Energy contracts and subsidies. How quickly wholesale gas and electricity prices reach households depends on each country's contracts and on what its government does to cushion them.
• Taxes. VAT and excise duties are set nationally, and a change in them shows up in prices straight away.
• Catching up. Where incomes are catching up with richer neighbours, prices tend to rise faster as the price level converges.

Inflation by country

Each country also has its own page with its inflation in every year:

Sources

The comparison uses the same official data as the inflation calculator: each country's consumer price index from its national statistics office, and the harmonised index of consumer prices from Eurostat for the euro area. The figures are updated automatically when the offices publish new ones.

Frequently asked questions

Why does inflation differ between countries that use the euro?

The euro area shares a currency and the interest rate the European Central Bank sets, but each country has its own prices. Households spend different shares of their money on food, energy and housing, energy contracts and subsidies differ, and taxes such as VAT are set nationally. In 2022, for example, consumer prices rose 10.0% in the Netherlands but 5.2% in France.

Why are the countries shown with the start year as 100?

Each series is in its own currency, so the amounts cannot share one scale. Setting every country's prices to 100 in the same year makes them comparable: a line at 150 means prices in that country are 50% higher than in the start year.

Why can't I pick the current year?

The figures for the current year are an average of the months published so far, and the statistics offices publish on different days. Comparing them would compare different numbers of months, so the comparison uses complete years only.

Which data does the comparison use?

The same series as the inflation calculator: each country's consumer price index from its national statistics office, and Eurostat's harmonised index of consumer prices for the euro area.

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