What was the inflation percentage in 2025
Executive summary
Headline U.S. consumer inflation — measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index — was 2.7% year‑over‑year in December 2025, the same pace as in November and the figure most news outlets used to characterize inflation at the end of 2025 [1] [2] [3]. Core CPI (all items less food and energy), a common gauge of underlying price pressure, was about 2.6% year‑over‑year in December 2025 [2] [4].
1. What the number means: December 2025 headline CPI at 2.7%
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the all‑items CPI rose 2.7% for the 12 months ending December 2025, and that rate matched November’s 12‑month increase, establishing 2.7% as the most recent headline inflation reading used by economists and the media [2] [1]. Major outlets summarized the same figure: CNBC and The New York Times both highlighted the 2.7% December increase in their coverage of the CPI release [1] [3], and data aggregators such as Trading Economics and USAFacts echoed the 2.7% read [4] [5].
2. Under the hood: core inflation, components, and quirks
Core CPI — which strips out volatile food and energy categories — was reported around 2.6% year‑over‑year in December 2025, indicating that price gains were not solely driven by food and energy volatility [2] [4]. The BLS release also noted notable category movements in December: energy up, food elevated, and shelter and used vehicles among contributors; detailed line‑by‑line figures were provided in the BLS PDF summary [2] [4]. Several outlets flagged that tariffs and policy moves in 2025 put upward pressure on certain goods prices, a factor economists cited in explaining persistent price gains in categories like durable goods [1] [6].
3. Data caveats: the 2025 shutdown and missing months
Interpretation of the 2025 inflation path requires caution because the BLS did not publish the October 2025 CPI release due to a government shutdown and there were related reporting gaps that affected November and consolidation of seasonal factors; the BLS and Federal Reserve researchers publicly noted those disruptions [7] [2] [8]. News reports and nowcasting models explicitly warned that the missing October data and adjustments complicate month‑to‑month comparisons and the calculation of annual averages for 2025 [1] [8].
4. What “inflation in 2025” can mean — end‑of‑year level vs. calendar‑year average
When asked “what was the inflation percentage in 2025,” the clearest, sourced answer supported by the available reporting is the December 2025 year‑over‑year CPI of 2.7% — the commonly cited endpoint used in reporting and policy discussion [2] [1]. Calculating a strict calendar‑year average for 2025 typically requires a complete sequence of monthly CPI releases; because some 2025 monthly values were not released on schedule, third‑party series and calculators noted data gaps and in some cases marked October figures as unavailable [9] [2] [8]. Sources that publish annual summaries therefore default to the BLS year‑end reading where monthly continuity is imperfect [4] [3].
5. How policymakers and commentators treated the figure
Federal Reserve and market commentary treated the 2.7% December CPI as evidence that headline inflation had moderated from earlier post‑pandemic peaks but remained above the Fed’s long‑run 2% goal, influencing expectations around rate decisions; major outlets and Fed watchers framed the 2.7% reading as “subdued” relative to the highs of 2022 but still politically and economically salient [3] [1]. Political actors and analysts pointed to tariffs and administration policy as factors sustaining price pressure, a line repeated across reporting [1] [6].