Inflation looked very different across countries in 2025. Most economies in this comparison fall in single-digit ranges, while a small group recorded extremely high increases in average consumer prices. This article uses the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook indicator PCPIPCH, labelled Inflation rate, average consumer prices. The supplied country table contains 197 latest observations, but only the 194 observations dated 2025 are used for the map, ranking, median, and other same-year calculations.
PCPIPCH is not a single-month year-over-year CPI rate. IMF DataMapper reports the unit as annual percent change. In practical terms, it describes how the average consumer price level during 2025 changed relative to the previous year’s average. It can therefore differ from December-to-December inflation, an end-of-period measure, or a monthly headline CPI number.
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The median across 194 observations is 3.03%
The median is 3.03%, while the simple unweighted mean is 7.52%. The mean is much higher because a small number of very large inflation rates pull it upward: Venezuela is about 251.95%, Sudan 100.22%, South Sudan 97.62%, and Zimbabwe 81.44%. The 7.52% average gives each country or area equal weight, so it is not a population-weighted world inflation rate. The median is more useful for describing the middle observation in this country-level distribution.
Nine of the 194 observations are below zero. Another 53 fall from 0% to below 2%, 86 from 2% to below 5%, and 22 from 5% to below 10%. Twenty-four observations are at least 10%, including five at or above 50%. The largest cluster is therefore the 2–5% band, even though a small high-inflation tail is extraordinarily wide.
Venezuela is highest at about 252%, followed by Sudan and South Sudan
| Country or area | 2025 average consumer price inflation |
|---|---|
| Venezuela | 252.0% |
| Sudan | 100.2% |
| South Sudan | 97.6% |
| Zimbabwe | 81.4% |
| Iran | 50.9% |
| Argentina | 41.9% |
| Türkiye | 34.9% |
| Burundi | 34.2% |
| Malawi | 28.4% |
| Haiti | 28.3% |
Venezuela has the highest 2025 value at roughly 252.0%. Sudan is 100.2%, South Sudan 97.6%, Zimbabwe 81.4%, and Iran 50.9%. Argentina follows at 41.9%, Türkiye at 34.9%, Burundi at 34.2%, Malawi at 28.4%, and Haiti at 28.3%. These figures describe the pace of change in average consumer prices; they are not a complete measure of household welfare or living costs.
The reasons behind high inflation differ from country to country. Exchange rates, fiscal and monetary conditions, supply disruptions, conflict, food and energy costs, and other domestic factors can all matter. This one indicator can identify where inflation was high, but it does not contain enough evidence to assign a causal explanation. Country-specific analysis requires additional monetary, fiscal, production, trade, and price-component data.
South Korea is 2.12%, the United States 2.73%, and Japan 3.17%
| Country or area | 2025 average consumer price inflation |
|---|---|
| South Korea | 2.12% |
| United States | 2.73% |
| China | 0.05% |
| Japan | 3.17% |
| Germany | 2.30% |
| France | 0.93% |
| United Kingdom | 3.37% |
| Canada | 2.08% |
| Australia | 2.86% |
| India | 2.09% |
| Indonesia | 1.91% |
| Brazil | 5.02% |
| Mexico | 3.82% |
| South Africa | 3.22% |
South Korea is 2.12%, the United States 2.73%, and Japan 3.17%. Germany is 2.30%, France 0.93%, the United Kingdom 3.37%, Canada 2.08%, and Australia 2.86%. China is close to flat at 0.05%. India is 2.09%, Indonesia 1.91%, Brazil 5.02%, Mexico 3.82%, and South Africa 3.22%.
Because every number in this table is dated 2025, it avoids the common problem of mixing each country’s latest available year. Even so, national CPI baskets and weights differ, and WEO series can incorporate IMF staff estimates and revisions. Small decimal differences should not be treated as a precise ranking of household cost-of-living conditions. Broad ranges and large gaps are more informative than tiny differences.
Nine economies show a negative 2025 average price change
| Country or area | 2025 average consumer price change |
|---|---|
| Niger | -4.56% |
| Chad | -2.57% |
| Fiji | -1.40% |
| Burkina Faso | -0.55% |
| Djibouti | -0.32% |
| Brunei | -0.30% |
| Bahrain | -0.14% |
| Thailand | -0.13% |
| Costa Rica | -0.07% |
Niger, Chad, Fiji, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Brunei, Bahrain, Thailand, and Costa Rica have negative values in this 2025 comparison. A negative number means the annual-average consumer price level was lower than in the previous year under this indicator. It does not automatically mean economic conditions improved. Weak demand, commodity-price changes, exchange rates, subsidies, or other factors may contribute, so the causes and consequences of deflation require separate evidence.
Average inflation is different from end-of-period inflation
The WEO contains separate indicators for average consumer price inflation and end-of-period consumer price inflation. An annual average reflects prices across the full year, while an end-of-period measure focuses on the price level near the end of the year relative to the previous end point. A country where inflation surged early and then slowed can therefore look different under the two measures from a country where price pressure intensified late in the year.
The same caution applies when comparing this map with news reports about monthly inflation. Monthly year-over-year CPI, December-to-December inflation, and annual-average inflation all describe price change, but they use different reference periods. This article deliberately keeps one definition throughout: IMF WEO PCPIPCH.
Three latest observations are not from 2025 and are excluded
The source table has 197 latest country or area observations. Eritrea’s latest value is dated 2019, Sri Lanka’s 2024, and Syria’s 2010. Mixing those three values into a 2025 ranking would turn time differences into apparent country differences, so they are excluded from the map, tables, and summary statistics. The synchronized comparison therefore contains 194 observations.
The IMF explains that WEO data can include staff estimates and projections and can be revised as information changes; WEO values may also differ from other official sources. The figures here are taken from the IMF World Economic Outlook database. If a final national CPI release is needed for a specific country, the relevant national statistical office is an important additional source.
The map shows geographic contrasts, not a shared cause
The highest bands appear in parts of South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Eurasia, including Venezuela, Argentina, Sudan, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Nigeria, Angola, Iran, Yemen, Egypt, and Türkiye. Many economies in Western Europe and East Asia fall in the 0–5% bands. These geographic patterns are useful for seeing where inflation pressure was concentrated, but two countries in the same color band do not necessarily share the same economic mechanism.
The low-resolution world boundary layer also omits or simplifies some small islands and special areas. All 194 statistical observations are retained in the calculations even when a location is not clearly rendered as a polygon. Gray on the map should therefore be read as no plotted value or no direct geometry match, not as 0% inflation.
Source and calculation method
The source is IMF World Economic Outlook indicator PCPIPCH, Inflation rate, average consumer prices, measured as annual percent change. The source query collected each economy’s latest non-null observation within 2017–2025. For a synchronized comparison, only the 194 rows dated 2025 were retained. The median, unweighted mean, threshold counts, ranking, and map classes were calculated directly from those 194 values.
The map uses seven bands: below 0%, 0–2%, 2–5%, 5–10%, 10–25%, 25–50%, and 50% or more. The simple mean is not a global inflation rate because countries are not weighted by population or consumption. The purpose of the comparison is to show large cross-country differences using one indicator and one year, while keeping the limitations of WEO estimates and national CPI comparability visible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does IMF PCPIPCH measure?
PCPIPCH is the IMF World Economic Outlook indicator for inflation rate, average consumer prices, measured as annual percent change. It is different from a monthly year-over-year CPI rate or an end-of-period inflation rate.
What is the median inflation rate in the 2025 country comparison?
The median across the 194 observations dated 2025 is about 3.03%. The simple mean is 7.52%, but it is pulled upward by a small number of extremely high inflation rates.
Does a negative value mean consumer prices fell?
Under this indicator, a negative value means the annual-average consumer price level was lower than the previous year’s average. The economic cause and effect cannot be determined from this single number alone.
Are all values in the source table from 2025?
No. The source contains 197 latest observations, but Eritrea is dated 2019, Sri Lanka 2024, and Syria 2010. Those three are excluded so the map and ranking use only the 194 observations dated 2025.
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