Inflation data
Historical Consumer Price Index (CPI) data
Consumer Price Indexes
Retirement benefit Cost-Of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) are determined by the consumer price indexes calculated and maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the changes in prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by households. We update this page in the spring of each year.
Separate indexes are produced for regional areas and the nation as a whole. Based on statute, the indexes the Washington State retirement systems rely on is the "urban wage-earners and clerical workers" (CPI-W). The national CPI-W index below is used to determine annual benefit increases for the Judicial system and the Volunteer Fire Fighters and Reserve Officers system. The regional (Seattle area) CPI-W index is used by all other eligible plans administered by the Department of Retirement Systems; please see our COLA webpage for further details.
Annual Inflation
| Year |
Regional CPI-W (CPI Index) |
U.S. City CPI-W (CPI Index) |
Regional CPI-W (Percent Change) |
U.S. City CPI-W (Percent Change) |
| 2025 | 1055.5 | 939.1 | 2.55% | 2.51% |
| 2024 | 1029.3 | 916.1 | 3.61% | 2.86% |
| 2023 | 993.3 | 890.6 | 5.52% | 3.82% |
| 2022 | 941.4 | 857.8 | 8.81% | 8.46% |
| 2021 | 865.2 | 790.9 | 4.75% | 5.26% |
| 2020 | 826.0 | 751.4 | 1.90% | 1.21% |
| 2019 | 810.5 | 742.4 | 2.14% | 1.66% |
| 2018 | 793.6 | 730.2 | 3.36% | 2.55% |
| 2017 | 767.7 | 712.1 | 3.32% | 2.13% |
| 2016 | 743.1 | 697.2 | 2.28% | 0.98% |
| 2015 | 726.5 | 690.5 | 0.91% | (0.41%) |
| 2014 | 719.9 | 693.4 | 1.93% | 1.50% |
| 2013 | 706.3 | 683.1 | 1.22% | 1.37% |
| 2012 | 697.8 | 673.9 | 2.54% | 2.10% |
| 2011 | 680.5 | 660.0 | 3.17% | 3.56% |
| 2010 | 659.6 | 637.3 | 0.78% | 2.07% |
| 2009 | 654.5 | 624.4 | 0.44% | (0.67%) |
| 2008 | 651.6 | 628.7 | 4.48% | 4.09% |
| 2007 | 623.7 | 604.0 | 3.79% | 2.86% |
| 2006 | 600.9 | 587.2 | 3.73% | 3.22% |
| 2005 | 579.3 | 568.9 | 3.02% | 3.53% |
| 2004 | 562.3 | 549.5 | 1.57% | 2.60% |
| 2003 | 553.6 | 535.6 | 1.41% | 2.23% |
| 2002 | 545.9 | 523.9 | 1.81% | 1.37% |
| 2001 | 536.2 | 516.8 | 3.55% | 2.72% |
| 2000 | 517.8 | 503.1 | 3.75% | 3.48% |
| 1999 | 499.1 | 486.2 | 3.10% | 2.23% |
| 1998 | 484.1 | 475.6 | 2.63% | 1.34% |
| 1997 | 471.7 | 469.3 | 3.10% | 2.22% |
| 1996 | 457.5 | 459.1 | 3.30% | 2.91% |
| 1995 | 442.9 | 446.1 | 2.90% | 2.84% |
| 1994 | 430.4 | 433.8 | 3.66% | 2.53% |
| 1993 | 415.2 | 423.1 | 2.98% | 2.82% |
| 1992 | 403.2 | 411.5 | 3.54% | 2.90% |
| 1991 | 389.4 | 399.9 | 5.53% | 4.03% |
| 1990 | 369.0 | 384.4 | 7.11% | 5.26% |
| 1967 (Base) | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, BLS.