Social Security COLA: Cost-of-Living Adjustments
Updated for 2026 · Source: Social Security Administration
- 2026 COLA
- 2.8%
- 2025 COLA
- 2.5%
- average since 1975
- 3.8%
- largest (1980)
- 14.3%
The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 is 2.8%. COLAs keep benefits in line with inflation: every year SSA measures how much consumer prices have risen and raises retirement, disability, and SSI payments by that percentage. Since automatic COLAs began in 1975 they have averaged about 3.8% a year, with the largest single increase of 14.3% in 1980.
COLA by year, 1975-2026
How the COLA is calculated
The COLA is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. SSA averages the CPI-W for the third quarter (July, August, September) and compares it with the third quarter of the most recent year that produced a COLA.
If that average rose, benefits go up by the same percentage, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent. If prices were flat or fell, there is no COLA that year, but benefits are never reduced.
The increase is announced in October and applies to benefits for December, which arrive in January payments. SSI recipients see it slightly earlier, at the end of December.
Full COLA history
| Effective year | COLA |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.8% |
| 2025 | 2.5% |
| 2024 | 3.2% |
| 2023 | 8.7% |
| 2022 | 5.9% |
| 2021 | 1.3% |
| 2020 | 1.6% |
| 2019 | 2.8% |
| 2018 | 2% |
| 2017 | 0.3% |
| 2016 | 0% |
| 2015 | 1.7% |
| 2014 | 1.5% |
| 2013 | 1.7% |
| 2012 | 3.6% |
| 2011 | 0% |
| 2010 | 0% |
| 2009 | 5.8% |
| 2008 | 2.3% |
| 2007 | 3.3% |
| 2006 | 4.1% |
| 2005 | 2.7% |
| 2004 | 2.1% |
| 2003 | 1.4% |
| 2002 | 2.6% |
| 2001 | 3.5% |
| 2000 | 2.5% |
| 1999 | 1.3% |
| 1998 | 2.1% |
| 1997 | 2.9% |
| 1996 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | 2.8% |
| 1994 | 2.6% |
| 1993 | 3% |
| 1992 | 3.7% |
| 1991 | 5.4% |
| 1990 | 4.7% |
| 1989 | 4% |
| 1988 | 4.2% |
| 1987 | 1.3% |
| 1986 | 3.1% |
| 1985 | 3.5% |
| 1984 | 3.5% |
| 1983 | 7% |
| 1982 | 7.4% |
| 1981 | 11.2% |
| 1980 | 14.3% |
| 1979 | 9.9% |
| 1978 | 6.5% |
| 1977 | 5.9% |
| 1976 | 6.4% |
| 1975 | 8% |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Social Security COLA for 2026?
- The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment is 2.8%. It raised the average benefit starting with payments for December 2025 (paid in January 2026).
- How is the Social Security COLA calculated?
- SSA compares the average Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the third quarter (July-September) of the current year with the third quarter of the last year a COLA took effect. The percentage increase, rounded to the nearest tenth, becomes the COLA.
- When is the COLA announced and when does it start?
- SSA announces the COLA in October, after September CPI-W is published. The increase applies to benefits for December and shows up in payments received in January.
- Can the COLA be zero?
- Yes. When prices don't rise year over year there is no increase. That has happened 3 times since 1975 (most recently in years with low inflation), and a COLA is never negative, benefits don't go down.
Related: average check by age · maximum benefit · SSI amounts