Inflation affects many facets of the economy, from individual spending power to interest on the national debt.
Question:
The rate at which prices change can have ramifications across the economy, affecting businesses and consumers alike. For instance, when high levels of inflation occur, the value of one's money (also known as purchasing power) erodes, as consumers are no longer able to buy as much product with the same amount of money. Likewise, if wages do not rise at a similar rate as prices, inflation can devalue people's wages and savings and increase the cost of living.
Changing prices can also create disparities across the economy by distorting the purchasing power for some individuals over time. An example of this is inflation's effect on fixed interest payments. For instance, an individual with a fixed 3 percent yearly increase to their pension would lose purchasing power if inflation were higher than 3 percent, as the value of their pension would decline. On the other hand, someone with a fixed-rate mortgage of 3 percent would benefit from higher inflation as making those payments would become easier (assuming wages also rose with inflation).
Finally, inflation and deflation make it harder to anticipate how other aspects of the economy may change such as interest rates, wages, taxes, and profits. That uncertainty could lead to less activity in the economy, such as businesses adjusting hiring decisions or households reducing their spending, and ultimately stunt economic growth.