All Countries
China
enplru

China
Inflation in China for 10 years: 2016 – 2026

Start
End
Latest month of data:April 2026
Cumulative Inflation for 10 Years
+14.1%
Average Inflation Rate
1.3%
Price Multiplier
1.14x
Loss of Buying Power
-12.4%

Report for: May 2016 — April 2026

The economy demonstrated high price stability. Average annual inflation was at 1.3%, which fully corresponds to the conservative targets of leading world central banks. At this rate, the cumulative loss of buying power is minimal: over the entire period, the cost of living increased only 1.14 times, and CNY retained 88% of its purchasing power.

Inflation Rate by Year

Inflation Adjusted Prices

Equivalent Value
What cost 100 CNY in 2016, would cost 114 CNY today. To maintain the same standard of living, income over 10 years should have grown by 1.14 times.
2016100 CNY
+14.1%
2026114 CNY

Value Adjusted for Inflation

Loss of Buying Power

Real Value
Since 2016, the purchasing power of 100 CNY has decreased to 88 CNY. The chart shows how CNY lost a total of 12.4% of its value over 10 years.
2016100 CNY
-12.4%
202688 CNY
-12%
Total Loss

Purchasing Power Over Time

Cumulative Inflation (%)

Historical Inflation Table

YearInflation (%)
20260.62%
20250.71%
20240.10%
2023-0.29%
20221.78%
20211.44%
20200.27%
20194.41%
20181.91%
20171.85%
20161.99%

Calculation Methodology

Calculations are based on CPI NBS. It is a consumer price index that measures the average change in prices for goods and services purchased by the population.

Price Multiplier

Price Multiplier shows how many times prices have increased. In macroeconomics, this baseline metric is known as the Price Index Ratio. It is derived directly from official CPI data and serves as the mathematical foundation for all other calculations on this page.

Formula:
Price Multiplier(K)=CPI2026CPI2016\text{Price Multiplier} (K) = \frac{\text{CPI}_{2026}}{\text{CPI}_{2016}}
Calculation:
101.00088.484=1.1414\frac{101.000}{88.484} = 1.1414
Cumulative Inflation

To calculate the cumulative inflation since 2016, we use the following formula:

Formula:
(K−1)×100=Cumulative(%)(K - 1) \times 100 = \text{Cumulative} (\%)
Calculation:
(1.1414−1)×100=14.1%(1.1414 - 1) \times 100 = 14.1\%
Average Inflation Rate

Shows the average annual price growth rate including compound interest (where each year's inflation is added to already increased prices). To calculate the average annual inflation for 10 years since 2016, we use the following formula:

Formula:
K1n−1=Average Inflation RateK^{\frac{1}{n}} - 1 = \text{Average Inflation Rate}
n — number of years (10)
Calculation:
(1.14141/10−1)×100=1.3%(1.1414^{1/10} - 1) \times 100 = 1.3\%
Loss of Buying Power

To find out what share of its real value savings in CNY have lost since 2016, we calculate the percentage drop in purchasing power. Loss of buying power is calculated as an inverse proportion to price growth:

Formula:
(1−1K)×100=Loss of Buying Power(%)\left( 1 - \frac{1}{K} \right) \times 100 = \text{Loss of Buying Power} (\%)
Calculation:
(1−11.1414)×100=12.4%\left( 1 - \frac{1}{1.1414} \right) \times 100 = 12.4\%
Equivalent Value

To calculate the equivalent value in terms of purchasing power in 2026, we multiply the initial value from 2016 by the price growth factor:

Formula:
Original Amount×K=Equivalent\text{Original Amount} \times K = \text{Equivalent}
Calculation:
100×1.1414=114 CNY100 \times 1.1414 = 114 \text{ CNY}

Citation & Data Usage

You can use the data in your articles. Link to the source:

"Inflation in China (2016–2026)", InflationCompare, . Accessed 26 May 2026. Data source: CPI NBS.