kokonaisinflaation

Kokonaisinflaatio is the overall rate at which prices for goods and services in an economy rise over a period of time. It is commonly measured by consumer price indices, such as the consumer price index (CPI) or harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP), and expresses the percentage change from a previous period, usually month to month or year to year. The calculation relies on a fixed basket of goods and services weighted to reflect a typical household’s expenditures, with price changes aggregated to produce a single inflation rate.

This measure contrasts with core inflation, which excludes a subset of volatile items—most often food and energy—to reveal underlying or long-run inflation trends. Kokonaisinflaatio can be more volatile due to temporary supply shocks, sharp changes in energy prices, exchange rate movements, or tax changes, while core inflation tends to move more slowly.

The rate has wide implications for the economy. It affects consumer purchasing power, wage negotiations, contracts, and fiscal planning. It also informs monetary policy decisions, where central banks may respond to headline inflation or focus on underlying measures to gauge persistent pressures. Policymakers often communicate that short-term spikes in kokonaisinflaatio may reflect transient factors, whereas sustained increases in inflation indicate broader economic demand or structural imbalances.

In practice, data sources vary by country, but the concept remains the same: kokonaisinflaatio measures the total rise in prices across the economy, encompassing all categories of goods and services.