# Inflation under Barack Obama, 2009–2017

Source page: https://govargus.com/presidents/obama/inflation

Under Barack Obama, inflation averaged 1.4%, against 3.3% in the four years before. That is the lowest average of the 8 completed terms since 1977.

Inflation (CPI, year over year): Percent change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers versus the same month a year earlier. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED CPIAUCSL (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL), fetched Oct 19, 2026.

## Year by year

Highest reading during the term: 3.8% in Sep 2011. Lowest: −2.0% in Jul 2009.

| Year | Average |
| --- | --- |
| 2009 (Feb–Dec) | −0.3% |
| 2010 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | 3.1% |
| 2012 | 2.1% |
| 2013 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | 1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.3% |

## Every term

Sorted by average, highest first. A term's first year mostly reflects the previous administration's policies, and Congress, the Federal Reserve and the world economy move these numbers too. Govargus describes; it does not score presidents.

| President | Term | During term | 4 years before |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jimmy Carter | 1977–1981 | avg 9.8% | avg 8.1% |
| Joe Biden | 2021–2025 | avg 5.0% | avg 1.9% |
| Ronald Reagan | 1981–1989 | avg 4.6% | avg 9.8% |
| George H. W. Bush | 1989–1993 | avg 4.4% | avg 3.3% |
| Donald Trump (2nd term) | 2025–present | avg 3.0% so far | avg 5.0% |
| George W. Bush | 2001–2009 | avg 2.8% | avg 2.3% |
| Bill Clinton | 1993–2001 | avg 2.6% | avg 4.4% |
| Donald Trump (1st term) | 2017–2021 | avg 1.9% | avg 1.1% |
| Barack Obama | 2009–2017 | avg 1.4% | avg 3.3% |