Tuesday, May 14, 2019

US Inflation History


Average inflation rate by year from 1914 to 2018

In 1913, the US Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act. It imposed a “managed economy’ and gave the Federal Reserve Bank the authority to set the discount interest rate used to lend money to banks and print money, causing inflation. Congress also passed the Income Tax Act and Inheritance Tax Act in 1913. 

The first years were mild with a 1% income tax and 1% inflation in 1914 and 1915.

In 1916, Inflation moved to 7.9%, 17.4% in 1917, 18% in 1918, 14.6% in 1919 and 15.6% in 1920. Inflation occurs when too many dollars chase too few goods according to the law of supply and demand. Government became the biggest consumer during periods of high inflation. Periods of deflation in 1921, 1927, 1938, 1949, 1955 and 2009 indicate recessions and declining asset prices and GDP.

Year-Inflation Rate %
1914 1.0
1915 1.0
1916 7.9
1917 17.4
1918 18.0
1919 14.6
1920 15.6
1921 -10.5
1922 -6.1
1923 1.8
1924 0.0
1925 2.3
1926 1.1
1927 -1.7
1928 -1.7
1929 0.0
1930 -2.3
1931 -9.0
1932 -9.9
1933 -5.1
1934 3.1
1935 2.2
1936 1.5
1937 3.6
1938 -2.1
1939 -1.4
1940 0.7
1941 5.0
1942 10.9
1943 6.1
1944 1.7
1945 2.3
1946 8.3
1947 14.4
1948 8.1
1949 -1.2
1950 7.9
1951 1.9
1952 1.9
1953 0.8
1954 0.7
1955 -0.4
1956 1.5
1957 3.3
1958 2.8
1959 0.7
1960 1.7
1961 1.0
1962 1.0
1963 1.3
1964 1.3
1965 1.6
1966 2.9
1967 3.1
1968 4.2
1969 5.5
1970 5.7
1971 4.4
1972 3.2
1973 6.2
1974 11.0
1975 9.1
1976 5.8
1977 6.5
1978 7.6
1979 11.3
1980 13.6
1981 10.3
1983 6.2
1984 3.2
1985 4.3
1986 3.6
1987 1.9
1988 3.6
1989 4.1
1990 4.8
1991 5.4
1992 4.2
1993 3.0
1994 2.6
1995 2.8
1996 3.0
1997 3.2
1998 1.6
1999 2.2
2000 3.4
2001 2.8
2002 1.6
2003 2.3
2004 2.7
2005 3.4
2006 3.2
2007 2.8
2008 3.8
2009 -0.4
2010 1.6
2011 3.2
2012 2.1
2013 1.5
2014 1.6
2015 0.1
2016 1.3
2017 2.1
2018 2.4


Comments

The US is an expensive country to live and do business in. We need to hold inflation down by increasing our productivity in order to continue raising household incomes.  We also need to reduce the cost of education, healthcare and eliminate unnecessary government spending. We need to hold inflation under 3% and lower all debt. We need pipelines to increase oil and LNG production. We need to reduce the national debt.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader 

No comments:

Post a Comment