Communication inflation: annual rate by year since 1989
5.4%
5.3%
The ONS gives an annual CPI rate for communication (COICOP 08) for every year from 1989 to 2025: 37 years. In 2025 prices in this class were 5.4% higher on average than in 2024, against 3.4% for all CPI items. The highest yearly rate in the series is 8.5% in 1991; the lowest is -6.6% in 2001. The rate for this class was higher than the all-items CPI rate in 10 of the 37 years where both are published. Prices in this class fell on average in 12 years. The index (2015 = 100) stood at 100.0 in 2015 and 140.6 in 2025.
Communication inflation by year
| Year | Annual rate | Index (2015 = 100) | CPI inflation that calendar year (ONS, D7G7) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.4% | 140.6 | 3.4% | +2.0 points |
| 2024 | 5.1% | 133.4 | 2.5% | +2.6 points |
| 2023 | 7.1% | 127.0 | 7.3% | -0.2 points |
| 2022 | 2.3% | 118.6 | 9.1% | -6.8 points |
| 2021 | 1.7% | 115.9 | 2.6% | -0.9 points |
| 2020 | 3.9% | 114.0 | 0.9% | +3.0 points |
| 2019 | 3.9% | 109.7 | 1.8% | +2.1 points |
| 2018 | 1.0% | 105.6 | 2.5% | -1.5 points |
| 2017 | 1.8% | 104.5 | 2.7% | -0.9 points |
| 2016 | 2.7% | 102.7 | 0.7% | +2.0 points |
| 2015 | 1.4% | 100.0 | 0.0% | +1.4 points |
| 2014 | 1.3% | 98.6 | 1.5% | -0.2 points |
| 2013 | 3.0% | 97.4 | 2.6% | +0.4 points |
| 2012 | 4.0% | 94.5 | 2.8% | +1.2 points |
| 2011 | 4.0% | 90.9 | 4.5% | -0.5 points |
| 2010 | 4.9% | 87.4 | 3.3% | +1.6 points |
| 2009 | 1.0% | 83.3 | 2.2% | -1.2 points |
| 2008 | -2.6% | 82.5 | 3.6% | -6.2 points |
| 2007 | -3.3% | 84.7 | 2.3% | -5.6 points |
| 2006 | 0.2% | 87.6 | 2.3% | -2.1 points |
| 2005 | -2.3% | 87.5 | 2.1% | -4.4 points |
| 2004 | -0.7% | 89.5 | 1.3% | -2.0 points |
| 2003 | 0.5% | 90.2 | 1.4% | -0.9 points |
| 2002 | 0.8% | 89.7 | 1.3% | -0.5 points |
| 2001 | -6.6% | 89.0 | 1.2% | -7.8 points |
| 2000 | -3.9% | 95.3 | 0.8% | -4.7 points |
| 1999 | -2.9% | 99.2 | 1.3% | -4.2 points |
| 1998 | -1.5% | 102.2 | 1.6% | -3.1 points |
| 1997 | -2.8% | 103.8 | 1.8% | -4.6 points |
| 1996 | -2.1% | 106.7 | 2.4% | -4.5 points |
| 1995 | -3.0% | 109.0 | 2.6% | -5.6 points |
| 1994 | -4.8% | 112.3 | 2.0% | -6.8 points |
| 1993 | 0.6% | 118.0 | 2.5% | -1.9 points |
| 1992 | 2.8% | 117.3 | 4.2% | -1.4 points |
| 1991 | 8.5% | 114.1 | 7.5% | +1.0 points |
| 1990 | 5.6% | 105.2 | 7.0% | -1.4 points |
| 1989 | 1.4% | 99.6 | 5.2% | -3.8 points |
ONS series D7GF, index D7C3. About these tables · CSV
Latest monthly rates
| Month | 12-month rate |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 5.3% |
| July 2026 | 5.0% |
| June 2026 | 5.2% |
| May 2026 | 5.1% |
| April 2026 | 4.5% |
| March 2026 | 4.1% |
| February 2026 | 4.3% |
| January 2026 | 4.6% |
| December 2025 | 4.2% |
| November 2025 | 4.8% |
| October 2025 | 4.3% |
| September 2025 | 4.7% |
| August 2025 | 6.1% |
| July 2025 | 6.1% |
| June 2025 | 4.9% |
| May 2025 | 4.5% |
| April 2025 | 5.8% |
| March 2025 | 6.0% |
| February 2025 | 7.3% |
| January 2025 | 5.9% |
| December 2024 | 6.1% |
| November 2024 | 4.8% |
| October 2024 | 4.6% |
| September 2024 | 5.2% |
| August 2024 | 4.1% |
Inside this group
- Postal services inflation: 7.9% in 2025
- Phones and phone services inflation: 5.2% in 2025
Related pages
Sources and receipts
- Consumer price inflation time series (MM23), Office for National Statistics.
File: mm23.csv. Read 2026-10-15. SHA-256
1b78749ea634755b83064d88f4fc6f7dd177e0c41d8b573c9d8172b8d3fff641