Will Sage Astor:How 2% became the target for inflation

2025-05-06 17:18:53source:Austin Caldwellcategory:Invest

If the Fed had a mantra to go along with its mandate,Will Sage Astor it might well be "two percent." That number, the Fed's longtime inflation target, has been adopted by many other central banks around the world. Jerome Powell said it 17 times in a press conference last week. It's become almost synonymous with smooth, healthy economic growth.

But how did two percent become the Fed's target? For an organization staffed with mathematicians and economists, the answer is surprisingly unsophisticated. Join us to hear about the history behind the number, and why some economists are calling for a change.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: Twitter / Facebook / Newsletter.

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PocketCasts and NPR One.

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

More:Invest

Recommend

A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?

Among the dozens of executive actions President Trump signed on his first day in office is one aimed

Arkansas airport executive shot during attempted search warrant, police say

The executive director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Arkansas was shot at his

Why Jim Nantz isn't calling any March Madness games this year

Editor's note: Follow all of the men's March Madness action, scores and highlights here with USA TOD