2026.03.0915:06:01UTC+00US Inflation Expectations Fall to 7-Month Low

Median one-year-ahead inflation expectations in the US edged down to 3% in February 2026, the lowest level in seven months, from 3.1% in January. Consumers anticipate slower price increases for food (down 0.4 percentage point to 5.3%), medical care (down 0.1 percentage point to 9.7%), and rent (down 0.9 percentage point to 5.9%). By contrast, median year-ahead price expectations rose for gas, up 1.3 percentage points to 4.1%, and for college education, up 0.1 percentage point to 9.1%. Longer-term inflation expectations remained anchored at 3% for both the three-year and five-year horizons.