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What metric would you prefer?



my favorite is M3 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MABMM301USM189S

Edit: I thought it was obvious, yet in response to comment below - theoretically to get real inflation one has to adjust the M3 for the growth of the total amount of "stuff" in the economy. As that growth is just 1-2%/year , the M3 shape is visually indistinguishable from the real inflation on any given time period of up to several years.


In response to your edit, I don't know how you can claim that "real" (according to who? you?) inflation is somehow divorced from the purchasing power of a dollar. What matters to most humans is how far their wages go at the shop.

Hand-waving at money supply and "total amount of stuff" without reference to prices makes as much sense as arguing "Well obviously daily commutes were shorter in 2019 than 1919 because cars are much faster than horses. Just look at my chart of relative top speeds!"


You forgot the second part - the total miles commuted. The same is inflation - faster growing total money divided by slower growing total "stuff".


That's not a measure of inflation, it's just a measure of money supply.


inflation is defined as expansion or contraction in the money supply


https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/inflation.asp

> Inflation is the decline of purchasing power of a given currency over time.

https://www.economicshelp.org/macroeconomics/inflation/defin...

> A more exact definition of inflation is a sustained increase in the general price level in an economy. Inflation means an increase in the cost of living as the price of goods and services rise.

https://www.economicsonline.co.uk/Definitions/Inflation.html

> Inflation refers to a rise in the average level of prices sustained over time, which also corresponds to a fall in the internal (domestic) purchasing power of money.




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