What were annual inflation rates under each year of the Trump presidency (2017–2020) versus Biden presidency (2021–2024)?

1. The headline numbers: Trump’s 2017–2020 vs Biden’s 2021–2024

Multiple outlets summarize the contrast as a low‑inflation Trump term (about 1.9% average annual CPI for 2017–2020) and a higher‑inflation Biden term (around a 5% average annual CPI for 2021–2024), a gap driven by the pandemic shock and the 2021–22 global price surge ^{[1] [2] [4]}. Forbes quantified inflation as annualized 1.9% under Trump versus 5.4% under Biden across comparable spans, while SmartAsset and Investopedia summarize similar averages for the two presidencies ^{[2] [1] [4]}.

2. Why the gap widened: timing, pandemic and global forces

Reporting attributes the higher inflation during Biden’s years to forces that began with the pandemic recovery: large fiscal stimulus in 2021, supply‑chain disruptions, energy price shocks (including the 2022 Ukraine war), and very low interest rates — all converging to push CPI to roughly a 9% peak in June 2022 ^{[4] [3] [5]}. News analyses note those dynamics were global and not solely the result of White House policy choices ^[6].

3. How averages can obscure the story

Averages (the figures most outlets cite) smooth very different year‑by‑year paths: under Trump CPI was steady around 2% and fell to about 1.2% in 2020 amid the pandemic slowdown, while under Biden inflation jumped starting in 2021 and peaked in 2022 before receding through 2023–24 ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Journalists warn that comparing simple averages without noting timing, peaks and cumulative effects misleads readers about lived experience: a single year of high inflation compounds purchasing power loss ^{[2] [7]}.

4. Different metrics, different emphases

Sources use varied measures — year‑over‑year CPI, annualized averages over multi‑year spans, or cumulative price changes — producing slightly different conclusions. Forbes and SmartAsset report annualized and average rates ^{[2] [1]}. Fact‑checking outlets and economic reporters emphasize that inflation fell from its 2022 peak into 2023–24, with monthly year‑over‑year rates near the low‑to‑mid single digits by 2024 ^{[7] [6]}.

5. Political framing and competing explanations

Media and political actors frame inflation as either a legacy of policy choices (e.g., stimulus timing) or as largely driven by external shocks and monetary policy lags. Some commentary blames the American Rescue Plan and other fiscal moves for overheating demand; other analysts and major outlets stress global supply shocks and the Fed’s rate path as primary drivers ^{[4] [5] [6]}. Campaign and op‑ed pieces use the same inflation numbers to support opposing narratives ^{[2] [8]}.

6. What the sources do — and do not — provide

The provided reporting gives averages and key milestones (peak ~9.1% June 2022; averages near 1.9% for Trump and ~5% for Biden), and documents the decline in inflation through 2023–24 ^{[2] [3] [4]}. Available sources do not mention a single, consistent year‑by‑year table for 2017–2024 within this set; they report averaged or peak figures, and cite monthly snapshots such as CPI in July 2024 or December 2024 to show the easing trend ^{[7] [9]}.

7. Bottom line for readers

If you want the simple comparison most journalists use: Trump’s 2017–2020 average annual CPI ran about 1.9% and Biden’s 2021–2024 average about 5% — but those averages reflect a chronologically concentrated inflation surge after the pandemic, not steady policy‑driven inflation across an entire presidency ^{[1] [2] [3]}. For policy conclusions, examine year‑by‑year CPI and cumulative price changes and consider the role of global shocks and Federal Reserve actions cited across the reporting ^{[6] [4]}.

Limitations: this summary relies on the cited media and analyst pieces in your results; those sources emphasize averages, peaks and political interpretation rather than publishing one mutually agreed year‑by‑year CPI table covering 2017–2024 ^{[1] [2] [4]}.