What were the calendar‑year average CPI inflation rates for 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 according to the BLS?
Executive summary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes calendar-year and year‑over‑year CPI figures in its CPI databases and historical tables, but the specific calendar‑year average inflation rates for 2021–2024 are not quoted verbatim in the supplied excerpts; the BLS release does note the 12‑month change from December 2023 to December 2024 was 2.9 percent [1]. The definitive calendar‑year average numbers are available in the BLS calendar‑year CPI tables and databases referenced below [2] [3].
1. What the user is actually asking and why precision matters
The question asks for "calendar‑year average CPI inflation rates" for each year, which is distinct from the commonly cited "12‑month change ending in December"; calendar‑year averages are calculated by averaging monthly CPI indexes across the full year and then computing the percent change from one calendar-year average to the next — a methodological nuance the BLS documents in its historical tables and data pages [2] [3].
2. What the BLS sources provided here say directly
The BLS homepage and news releases in the provided material emphasize monthly and 12‑month changes: for example, the BLS states the Consumer Price Index (CPI‑U) increased 2.9 percent from December 2023 to December 2024 (a 12‑month change), and notes monthly and seasonally adjusted movements for December 2024 [1] [4]. The BLS also points users to detailed calendar‑year historical tables and to the CPI databases where calendar‑year measures are published [2] [3].
3. Why the supplied excerpts do not permit asserting all four calendar‑year averages here
None of the supplied snippets includes a table row or clear text giving the calendar‑year average CPI percent changes for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; the materials instead link to the BLS historical tables and CPI databases where those calendar‑year values are stored [2] [3]. Because the instruction set requires citing only claims supported by the provided sources, it would be methodologically improper to invent or transcribe numbers not present in these excerpts.
4. The one concrete BLS figure present in the excerpts and its relationship to calendar‑year averages
The BLS explicitly reports that consumer prices rose 2.9 percent from December 2023 to December 2024, a commonly cited year‑over‑year measure [1]. That 12‑month Dec‑to‑Dec figure is not identical to the "calendar‑year average" percent change, though it often tracks closely; for authoritative calendar‑year averages the BLS directs users to its calendar‑year historical tables and CPI data download tools [2] [3].
5. How to obtain the exact calendar‑year average CPI inflation rates from the BLS
To retrieve the precise calendar‑year average percent changes for 2021–2024, consult the BLS "Consumer Price Index Historical Tables for U.S. City Average" and the CPI Databases pages, which contain tables labeled for calendar‑year historical data and annual/seasonal summaries — these are the official sources cited by the BLS itself in the supplied material [2] [3]. The BLS news releases and tables for December 2024 also document methodology notes on seasonal adjustments and revisions that affect annual averages [4] [5].
6. Alternative framing, possible confusion and implicit agendas in reporting
Public discussion frequently focuses on Dec‑to‑Dec or monthly headline CPI to emphasize recent momentum, while academic and budget analyses often prefer calendar‑year averages to smooth seasonality; the BLS materials included here document both approaches and warn that seasonal‑adjusted series can be revised [4] [5]. Stakeholders with policy or political agendas may cherry‑pick the shorter 12‑month or monthly readings (highlighting either faster or slower inflation), which is why consulting the BLS calendar‑year tables is the least ambiguous route [2] [3].