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FACT BRIEF

Is inflation costing Wisconsinites $10,131 more per year compared with 2021?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

A Facebook ad claimed that because of inflation, “Wisconsinites spend $10,131 more per year now than they did in 2021." An analysis the ad relies on doesn't support that.

The ad started running Dec. 5, 2023. It's from Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group that advocates for limited government.

The analysis is by Republican members of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee. It refers to households, not persons, in saying that people in Wisconsin needed an estimated $10,131 more per year to afford the same standard of living in October 2023 that they had in January 2021.

University of Wisconsin-Madison economist Menzie Chinn told Wisconsin Watch that based on the analysis, the figure is $6,414 per person.

The analysis says that nationally, inflation costs the typical household $11,434 per year.

An analysis by Democratic members of the same committee found that average wages and salaries are up $14,970 during the same period.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
ghostarchive.org Americans for Prosperity Facebook ad
US Congress Joint Economic Committee JEC Republicans State Inflation Tracker
US Congress Joint Economic Committee Wages and Salaries Have Grown Faster Than Prices Since January 2021
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.