See how inflation erodes purchasing power over years and decades.
An inflation calculator shows how the purchasing power of money decreases over time. ₹1,00,000 today does not buy the same basket of goods as ₹1,00,000 will in 10 years — inflation steadily erodes what currency can purchase, even when nominal amounts stay the same.
India's long-term average inflation rate has been around 5–6% per year, though it can spike higher (8–10% in food and fuel-heavy inflation cycles). Over long horizons, inflation is the single biggest threat to fixed-income savings — money kept in a 4% bank account during 6% inflation is actually losing 2% purchasing power per year.
\text{Real Value} = \frac{\text{Future Value}}{(1 + r)^t}
Inputs: You expect to receive ₹50,00,000 in 20 years · Assumed inflation: 6%
Invest in assets that historically outpace inflation: equity (averages 11–13% in India), real estate (7–9% appreciation + rental yield), gold (7–8% long-term), and inflation-indexed bonds. Fixed deposits and savings accounts rarely keep up with inflation after tax. A diversified portfolio of equity + real estate + a small gold allocation has historically delivered comfortable real returns above inflation.
CPI (Consumer Price Index) measures inflation as experienced by consumers — what households actually pay for food, rent, education, healthcare. WPI (Wholesale Price Index) measures inflation in wholesale transactions before goods reach consumers. The RBI uses CPI as its primary inflation target. For personal financial planning, always use CPI inflation (currently around 4–6%).
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