From $6 eggs to $50,000 cars, these charts show how inflation has defined the past 5 years

Five years of elevated inflation have left a visible mark on household budgets, and the data tells the story in everyday purchases. Egg prices that once hovered near $6 a dozen and new cars approaching $50,000 illustrate how broadly costs have shifted across essentials and big-ticket items alike. These aren't isolated spikes; they reflect cumulative price growth that compounds over time.

The relevance for markets lies in consumer behavior. When inflation persists, households often adjust spending, trade down, or delay major purchases. That can pressure corporate margins, reshape demand across sectors, and feed into the confidence surveys policymakers watch closely. Consumer confidence has remained under strain, suggesting the psychological toll may outlast the price increases themselves.

What to watch: whether price growth continues to cool, how wage gains compare with inflation, and whether households rebuild purchasing power. For investors, the key question is whether moderating inflation restores demand—or whether caution has become entrenched.