What is personal inflation?

It is the inflation rate that applies to your own spending pattern. Instead of the national average basket, each category’s price change is weighted by the share of your budget you spend on it.

Why is my personal inflation different from the national rate?

If you spend more than average on categories whose prices are rising faster — such as housing or energy in some countries — your rate will be higher than the headline figure. If you spend more on categories with slower price growth, it will be lower.

Where do the category inflation rates come from?

They are the 2026 category estimates used on the Categories page: US figures from BLS CPI sub-indices and, for other countries, estimates based on IMF sector data, national statistical agencies and World Bank data. Treat non-US figures as informed estimates, and override them if you have better numbers.

What if a category has no inflation data?

The calculator falls back to the national 2026 inflation rate for that category and says so in the results table. You can also type your own rate.

Can I rely on the 1, 5 and 10 year projections?

They are simple estimates that assume your personal inflation rate stays the same every year. Actual inflation changes from year to year, so use them for planning scenarios, not as predictions.

Personal Inflation Calculator — Find Your Own Inflation Rate

Which categories drive your inflation

Chart will appear once the inputs are valid.

Next: see what your spending could cost in the future →

How to use this calculator

1

Choose your country and currency. Currency is only a label — nothing is converted.

2

Enter what you spend each month in each category. Use “Other” for anything that does not fit.

3

Optionally type your own inflation figure for a category if you know prices have moved differently for you.

4

Read your personal inflation rate, how it compares with the national rate, and which categories push it up most.

Why personal inflation differs from the headline rate

Headline inflation is an average across a standard basket of goods and services, and it differs a lot from country to country. A household that spends a large share of its budget on rent, food or energy can feel inflation very differently from a household that spends mostly on other things. Weighting each category’s price change by your own share of spending gives a more personal estimate.

The result is only as good as the inputs: category inflation figures are estimates for one year, and your own prices may differ from the national average.

Methodology

Your personal inflation rate is a weighted average. Each category’s inflation is weighted by the share of your total spending that goes to it.

Category weight

Weight = Category spending ÷ Total spending

Personal inflation

Personal Inflation = Σ (category weight × category inflation)

Projected spending

Future spending = Current spending × (1 + personal inflation)^years

Worked example

Spending: housing 600 (inflation 5%), food 400 (3%). Total 1,000 → weights 60% and 40%.

Personal inflation = 0.6 × 5% + 0.4 × 3% = 4.2%.

Assumptions

Category inflation is the country’s 2026 estimate unless you override it; categories without a figure (such as “Other”) use the national 2026 rate.
Your spending pattern and the inflation rates stay constant in the 1-, 5- and 10-year projections.
Amounts are in the currency you select; no exchange-rate conversion is applied.

Data source: national inflation comes from the IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026). The 2026 value is an IMF projection, not a finalized figure. Category inflation (Personal Inflation calculator) is a 2026 estimate: US figures use BLS CPI sub-indices; other countries are informed estimates from IMF sector data, national statistical agencies and World Bank WDI. Everything the calculators output is an estimate built on the assumptions you enter.

Disclaimer: Inflation Compass calculators provide illustrative estimates based on the assumptions and data entered. Actual inflation, investment returns, expenses, pensions, and retirement outcomes can differ.

Your personal inflation rate