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Data update

Explore updated data on how consumer prices have changed in the United States

Pablo Arriagada

Since 1997, the price of college tuition in the United States has more than tripled. Over the same period, the price of televisions has fallen by 98%. You can see these and other trends in the chart.

This data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which compiles the Consumer Price Index (CPI) — the standard measure of inflation in the United States. It tracks the average prices paid by urban consumers for a basket of goods and services.

I recently updated our chart with the latest CPI data across 12 categories — from medical care and housing to software and toys — showing how these prices have changed over the last decades.

Explore the interactive version of this chart
Line chart of percentage price changes in US consumer goods and services since 1997 where the chart highlights very large increases for college tuition and fees, day care and preschool, and medical care, moderate increases for housing and food and beverages, and smaller increases for items like new cars and clothing. It also shows substantial declines for televisions, toys, and computer software and accessories. The data source is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026). The chart is licensed CC BY to Our World in Data.