Wages and prices › United States
United States: a wage buys 3.0% more than in 2019
Prices are 30.6% higher than in August 2019. Average hourly earnings rose 34.5% between the second quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2026, while prices rose 30.5% over the same quarters. Wages have more than caught up.
How much have prices risen since 2019?
Prices in United States are 30.6% higher than in August 2019. What cost $100 then costs $130.57 now.
Price rise since August 2019, by what people buy. The red mark is all items, +30.6%.
- Transport+37.8%
- Housing, energy and furnishings+34.8%
- Food and drink+34.5%
- Tobacco, personal care and other+34.2%
- Leisure and culture+20.5%
- Health+18.4%
- Clothing and shoes+10.6%
- Education, phone and internet+8.8%
Have wages kept up?
Average hourly earnings rose 34.5% between the second quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2026. Prices rose 30.5% over the same quarters, so a wage buys 3.0% more than in 2019.
How does United States compare with its neighbours?
- European UnionPrices +30.0%, wages +30.0%, a wage buys +0.1%
- United StatesPrices +30.5%, wages +34.5%, a wage buys +3.0%
- United KingdomPrices +32.0%, wages +40.3%, a wage buys +6.2%
- CanadaPrices +23.9%, wages +31.1%, a wage buys +5.8%
Work out your own inflation
Your prices depend on what you buy. Put in what you spend each month and see your own rate beside the official one: your inflation in United States.
Sources and method
Prices: BLS, CPI-U (CPIAUCNS), via FRED, August 2026 against August 2019. Wages: BLS, average hourly earnings (CES0500000003), via FRED, average hourly earnings of all private-sector employees, seasonally adjusted, the second quarter of 2026 against the second quarter of 2019. For the comparison, prices are the average of the same months. The figures are as published on 6 October 2026.