Social Security COLA History: Every Adjustment Since 1975
Automatic cost-of-living adjustments began in 1975. Before that, benefits rose only when Congress passed a law. The table below is the SSA's official series, complete from the first automatic adjustment through the 3.6% paid from January 2027. Note the SSA's convention: each adjustment is listed under the year it was determined and is paid from the following January — so the last row, listed as 2026, is the increase that appears in 2027 checks.
The complete COLA table, 1975–2027
| Year | COLA | Year | COLA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 8.0% | 1976 | 6.4% |
| 1977 | 5.9% | 1978 | 6.5% |
| 1979 | 9.9% | 1980 | 14.3% |
| 1981 | 11.2% | 1982 | 7.4% |
| 1983 | 3.5% | 1984 | 3.5% |
| 1985 | 3.1% | 1986 | 1.3% |
| 1987 | 4.2% | 1988 | 4.0% |
| 1989 | 4.7% | 1990 | 5.4% |
| 1991 | 3.7% | 1992 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | 2.6% | 1994 | 2.8% |
| 1995 | 2.6% | 1996 | 2.9% |
| 1997 | 2.1% | 1998 | 1.3% |
| 1999 | 2.5% | 2000 | 3.5% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | 2002 | 1.4% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | 2004 | 2.7% |
| 2005 | 4.1% | 2006 | 3.3% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | 2008 | 5.8% |
| 2009 | 0.0% | 2010 | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 3.6% | 2012 | 1.7% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | 2014 | 1.7% |
| 2015 | 0.0% | 2016 | 0.3% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | 2018 | 2.8% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | 2020 | 1.3% |
| 2021 | 5.9% | 2022 | 8.7% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | 2024 | 2.5% |
| 2025 | 2.8% | 2026 | 3.6% |
*1999 footnote: the 1999 adjustment was originally computed as 2.4% and was raised to 2.5% after the Bureau of Labor Statistics corrected an error in the CPI. Source: Social Security Administration, Cost-Of-Living Adjustments series.
Every COLA at a glance
Bar lengths are proportional to the largest adjustment, 14.3% in 1980. The highlighted bar is the 3.6% paid from January 2027.
Decade averages
| Period | Average annual COLA | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.7% | The inflation era: four adjustments above 7% |
| 1990s | 2.9% | Disinflation: steady, moderate increases |
| 2000s | 2.8% | Ends with 5.8% (2008) then the first 0.0% |
| 2010s | 1.5% | The low-inflation decade: two more 0.0% years |
| 2020s so far | 4.0% | The pandemic inflation spike: 5.9%, 8.7%, then a step down to 3.6% |
How 2027 fits in
At 3.6%, the 2027 adjustment ranks third-largest of the past ten years, behind the pandemic-era 8.7% and 5.9%, and sits well above the 2010s average of about 1.5%. It is also the fourth consecutive above-average year — a streak driven by the CPI-W path explained on the how COLA is calculated page. For what the adjustment does to your own check, use the 2027 COLA calculator.
The History & Data Center
This table is the spine of a full data center. Go deeper with any of these:
Cumulative COLA calculator — every COLA since your benefits began, compounded year by year to your January 2027 amount.
Part B premium history 1966–2026 — the complete premium table and the year-by-year race between the premium and the COLA, hold harmless included.
COLA vs. inflation — the COLA against CPI-U since 1975, with the three structural reasons they differ.
Average benefit history — what the average retired worker actually received, December snapshots 2005–2024.
Wage base history 1975–2027 — the payroll-tax cap for every year, and why it froze in 2009–2011.
SSI federal rate history 1974–2027 — the maximum federal SSI payment for every year of the program.
COLA timeline & knowledge hub — the laws behind the rules: 1972, 1983, the frozen tax thresholds, and the 2025 WEP/GPO repeal.
Prediction track record — the forecasters graded against the official number, cycle by cycle.
Frequently asked questions
What was the largest Social Security COLA ever?
14.3% in 1980, at the peak of the great inflation. The next largest are 11.2% (1981), 9.9% (1979) and 8.7% (2022 in the SSA series — the increase paid from January 2023).
Were there years with no COLA?
Yes. The adjustment was 0.0% in 2009, 2010 and 2015 (in the SSA series), because the CPI-W did not rise over the measurement periods. The COLA can never be negative — a price decline produces 0%, not a benefit cut.
How does the 2027 COLA compare with history?
At 3.6% it is the third-largest adjustment of the past decade (behind 8.7% and 5.9%) and above the long-run average of roughly 2.6% a year. The average across the 2010s was only about 1.5%.
Why does the SSA list the 3.6% under 2026?
The SSA's official series lists each adjustment under the year it was determined. The adjustment determined in 2026 — 3.6% — is the one paid from January 2027.
Source: Social Security Administration, "Cost-Of-Living Adjustments" (ssa.gov/oact/cola/colaseries.html).