The Graphic Truth: Rich countries feel inflation pinch

Japan’s inflation rate hit 4% last month. Sounds low, right? Compared to many Western countries, it is. But for Japanese consumers, it’s the highest spike in prices since 1981. As a result, the Bank of Japan is under increasing pressure to raise its key interest rate from -0.1%, where it’s been since 2016. Japan’s central bankers are far from alone. In fact, on Wednesday, the Bank of Canada again boosted its benchmark interest rate, this time to 4.5%, but also became the first major central bank to announce it plans to hold off on further rate hikes for now. Most wealthy countries have felt the price crunch due to high energy costs, COVID supply chain issues, and the war in Ukraine. We compare inflation numbers for the past year across all G-7 countries.