headline inflation

noun

economics

: a measure of inflation that is based on an unadjusted price index

… but core inflation has indeed been a much more reliable guide than headline inflation, which fluctuates wildly.

—Paul Krugman

compare core inflation

Examples of headline inflation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The annual headline inflation rate was the highest since May 2023 and was up half a percentage point from March. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 12 May 2026

So far, the market is betting this is not a repeat of 1973 and that oil prices will fall back toward $60 per barrel by year-end, adding roughly 0.7 percentage points to headline inflation. —Dan Runkevicius, Forbes.com, 11 May 2026

Even as headline inflation cooled, these essential costs continued to strain household budgets. —Gene Ludwig, Fortune, 6 May 2026

If confirmed, the CEA chairman will play an important role at a time when energy prices have spiked due to the war in Iran, causing headline inflation to tick up. —Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for headline inflation

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization