Household perceptions and expectations in the wake of the inflation surge: survey evidence

Key takeaways

• A novel international survey across 29 advanced and emerging market economies reveals that household inflation expectations remain elevated, despite inflation rates approaching targets.
• Perceptions of significant price hikes post-pandemic tend to feed into higher household inflation expectations, pointing to the risk of a lasting impact of temporary inflation bursts.
• Households with greater knowledge of central banks and their price stability mandates report lower inflation expectations. Therefore, central bank communications can help improve the public's understanding of central banks and foster the anchoring of inflation expectations.