The increase in textbook prices compared to the consumer price index

Overview

The graph shows the rise of textbook costs compared to the consumer price index (CPI) from 1980 to 2015. It shows that textbook costs have increased over 1,000% during a 35-year time period while the CPI has increased about 200% during the same time period. The graph indicates that textbook costs are rising three to four times the rate of inflation, as shown by the CPI line. The graph is included on the web page to illustrate that the rate of textbook prices is increasing much faster than any other consumer product.

Values

Numerical values presented on the image. 

Percent increase in textbook prices compared to the consumer price index from 1980 to 2015

Presentation

The line graph represents the rise in textbook costs and the rise of the consumer price index (CPI) over a 35-year period. Textbook cost is represented by a rapidly increasing purple line, while CPI is represented by a yellow line that increases much more slowly from year to year.