The Deflation Index quantifies cost reductions in computing, communications, energy, and transportation from 1990‑2024, delivering transparent, data‑driven metrics on technological deflation. It offers monthly sector analyses, methodology updates, and early API access so analysts and policymakers can track productivity gains versus consumer price trends. By comparing a -9.2% annual tech deflation rate to rising CPI and money supply figures, users gain insight into where economic benefits are flowing.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Technology costs have fallen dramatically across computing, communications, energy, and transportation since 1990, yet wages and living standards have not risen proportionally, leaving analysts uncertain about where the productivity gains are being absorbed.
Solution
The Deflation Index provides a transparent, data‑driven measurement of technological deflation by quantifying cost‑per‑performance reductions from 1990 to 2024. It calculates an annual -9.2% deflation rate and compares it to consumer price inflation and money‑supply growth, enabling users to trace the flow of productivity gains. The platform delivers monthly sector analyses, methodology updates, and early access to an API that delivers the underlying data. By presenting cumulative deflation figures (e.g., 99% cost drop in computing) alongside macroeconomic benchmarks, the Index helps economists, policymakers, and investors assess the broader economic impact of rapid tech cost declines.
Target Audience
Primary users are economists, policy analysts, and investment professionals who need quantitative insight into how technology‑driven cost reductions affect macroeconomic variables.
Features
- Comprehensive dataset covering cost‑per‑performance metrics for computing, communications, energy, and transportation from 1990‑2024
- Annual technological deflation rate of -9.2% with side‑by‑side comparison to CPI (+2.8%) and M2 money supply (+5.7%)
- Monthly sector‑level analysis reports highlighting trends and methodological refinements
- Public API providing programmatic access to raw deflation data and derived metrics
- Transparent methodology documentation that details data sources, calculations, and assumptions
- Free subscription model with easy opt‑out, ensuring broad accessibility for research and analysis