Inflation vs. Stagflation: What's the Difference?

Inflation is a term used by economists to define broad increases in prices. Inflation is the rate at which the price of goods and services in an economy increases. Inflation also can be defined as the rate at which purchasing power declines. For example, if inflation is at 5 percent and you currently spend $100 per week on groceries, the following year you would need to spend $105 for the same amount of food.

Stagflation is a term used by economists to define an economy that has inflation, a slow or stagnant economic growth rate, and a relatively high unemployment rate. Economic policymakers across the globe try to avoid stagflation at all costs. With stagflation, a country's citizens are affected by high rates of inflation and unemployment. High unemployment rates further contribute to the slowdown of a country's economy, causing the economic growth rate to fluctuate no more than a single percentage point above or below a zero growth rate.

Economic policymakers like the Federal Reserve maintain constant vigilance for signs of inflation. Policy makers do not want inflation psychology to settle into the minds of consumers. In other words, policymakers do not want consumers to assume that prices always will go up. Such beliefs lead to things like employees asking employers for higher wages to cover the increased costs of living, which strains employers and, therefore, the general economy.

The causes of inflation can be classified into three types: demand-pull inflation, cost-push inflation, and built-in inflation.

Demand-pull inflation is when the overall demand for goods and services in an economy increases more rapidly than the economy's production capacity. It creates a demand-supply gap with higher demand and lower supply, which results in higher prices. Additionally, an increase in money supply in an economy also leads to inflation. With more money available to the individuals, the positive consumer sentiment leads to higher spending. This increases the demand and leads to price rise. Money supply can be increased by the monetary authorities either by printing and giving away more money to the individuals, or by devaluing (reducing the value of) the currency. In all such cases of demand increase, the money loses its purchasing power.

Cost-push inflation is a result of an increase in the prices of production process inputs. Examples include an increase in labor costs to manufacture a good or offer a service or increase in the cost of raw material. These developments lead to higher cost for the finished product or service and contribute to inflation.

Built-in inflation is the third cause that links to adaptive expectations. As the price of goods and services rises, labor expects and demands more costs/wages to maintain their cost of living. Their increased wages result in higher cost of goods and services, and the spiral continues as one factor induces the other and vice-versa.

The term "stagflation" was first used in the United Kingdom by politician Iain Macleod in the 1960s. Stagflation was experienced globally by many countries during the 1970s when world oil prices rose sharply, leading to the birth of the Misery Index.

There are two main theories about what causes stagflation. One theory states that this economic phenomenon is caused when a sudden increase in the cost of oil reduces an economy's productive capacity. Because transportation costs rise, producing products and getting them to shelves gets more expensive, and prices rise even as people get laid off. Another theory posits that inflation is simply the result of poorly conceived economic policy. Simply allowing inflation to go rampant, and then suddenly snapping the reins, is one example of poor policy that some have argued can contribute to stagflation. Others point to the harsh regulation of markets, goods, and labor combined with allowing central banks to print unlimited amounts of money.