Social Security COLA History
This table reproduces the supplied verified SSA series. The year labels follow the exact convention recorded with that dataset, so readers can distinguish a determination year from the first payment month. The percentages are the published series values, including the 0.0% entries; the latest row in this supplied series is 2026, which corresponds to the announced adjustment visible in January 2027 payments.
A cost-of-living adjustment is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). SSA compares the third-quarter average in the current measurement period with the third-quarter average from the last year an adjustment became effective. If the relevant comparison does not show an increase, the rule produces no COLA for that cycle. The percentage is determined from that index comparison, rather than from a household's personal spending pattern.
Historical percentages are useful context, but they do not forecast a later adjustment. The sequence has varied from year to year. The 0.0% rows mean the formula did not produce an increase for those payment years; they are not evidence of a reduction in the nominal benefit. The values also do not say how a particular person's net deposit changes, because deductions and withholding can differ.
Reading the year label
SSA table year = year the COLA was determined; 1975-1982 COLAs effective for benefits payable for June, thereafter for December (first seen in the January payment of the next calendar year). 1999 listed as 2.5 (Public Law 106-554; originally 2.4). SSA's 2026 row (3.6) is the COLA reflected in January 2027 payments.
Why a COLA and a deposit change are different
The adjustment applies to the gross benefit calculation. A monthly deposit can also reflect Medicare premiums, federal tax withholding, and other individual deductions. This page does not publish a 2027 Medicare Part B premium amount. The COLA calculator lets a reader enter their own premium amounts to see arithmetic for a personal scenario.
SSA's own COLA page describes the current adjustment, and the official historical series is the authority for the complete history. BenefitWise has transcribed the dataset provided for this build and links to SSA below; use the official source if any value differs. This independent publisher is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
Turning a percentage into a scenario
For a simple hypothetical illustration, a $1,000 monthly amount multiplied by 3.6% changes by $36 before any individual rounding or deductions. A percentage adjustment therefore produces different dollar changes for different starting amounts. Repeating percentages also compounds mathematically over time, but a line of historical adjustments is not a projection for a future recipient. This distinction is useful when comparing the history table with an individual notice or calculator result.
The history describes the timing and percentage associated with each published adjustment; it is not a record of what a person paid for housing, food, or medical care during those periods. An index is a defined measurement, while a household budget has its own mix of expenses. Reading the series as a historical program input keeps the table useful without treating it as a personal inflation measure.
What this table cannot tell you
A historical series cannot establish a future inflation rate or predict a person's purchasing power. CPI-W is a defined index, and individual expenses may move differently. The table also does not reconstruct any particular benefit history or compute rounding and payment timing for an individual record. For the official amount, review your my Social Security notice. For general educational arithmetic, compare a gross amount using the site's COLA calculator, keeping future adjustments as editable assumptions rather than forecasts.
Complete series from the verified file
| year = year the COLA was determined | COLA |
|---|---|
| 1975 | 8.0% |
| 1976 | 6.4% |
| 1977 | 5.9% |
| 1978 | 6.5% |
| 1979 | 9.9% |
| 1980 | 14.3% |
| 1981 | 11.2% |
| 1982 | 7.4% |
| 1983 | 3.5% |
| 1984 | 3.5% |
| 1985 | 3.1% |
| 1986 | 1.3% |
| 1987 | 4.2% |
| 1988 | 4.0% |
| 1989 | 4.7% |
| 1990 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | 3.7% |
| 1992 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | 2.6% |
| 1994 | 2.8% |
| 1995 | 2.6% |
| 1996 | 2.9% |
| 1997 | 2.1% |
| 1998 | 1.3% |
| 1999 | 2.5% |
| 2000 | 3.5% |
| 2001 | 2.6% |
| 2002 | 1.4% |
| 2003 | 2.1% |
| 2004 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | 4.1% |
| 2006 | 3.3% |
| 2007 | 2.3% |
| 2008 | 5.8% |
| 2009 | 0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 3.6% |
| 2012 | 1.7% |
| 2013 | 1.5% |
| 2014 | 1.7% |
| 2015 | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.3% |
| 2017 | 2.0% |
| 2018 | 2.8% |
| 2019 | 1.6% |
| 2020 | 1.3% |
| 2021 | 5.9% |
| 2022 | 8.7% |
| 2023 | 3.2% |
| 2024 | 2.5% |
| 2025 | 2.8% |
| 2026 | 3.6% |
The values above are shown to one decimal place as stored. The source file's convention note is reproduced verbatim here and governs interpretation of the year column.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Social Security COLA for 2027?
The COLA for 2027 is 3.6%, effective with benefits payable in January 2027, as announced by SSA.
What recent COLAs are listed?
The verified recent list is 5.9% for 2022, 8.7% for 2023, 3.2% for 2024, 2.5% for 2025, 2.8% for 2026 and 3.6% for 2027.
Have there been years with no COLA?
Yes. Among the years on the list, the January 2010, January 2011 and January 2016 adjustments were 0.0%. If the CPI-W does not increase, there is no COLA.
How is the COLA determined?
It is based on the increase in the CPI-W from the third quarter of the last COLA year to the third quarter of the current year.
Where is the official COLA series?
SSA publishes the full cost-of-living adjustment history at ssa.gov/oact/cola/colaseries.html. Use that page for the complete official series.
Dataset note: SSA table year = year the COLA was determined; 1975-1982 COLAs effective for benefits payable for June, thereafter for December (first seen in the January payment of the next calendar year). 1999 listed as 2.5 (Public Law 106-554; originally 2.4). SSA's 2026 row (3.6) is the COLA reflected in January 2027 payments.