Costs have risen faster than general inflation and that is not going to change.

Health care costs in both countries are rising faster than inflation.

This comes after two years of clothing prices rising faster than inflation.

"The elderly spend more of their dollars on health care, which is rising faster than inflation," he said.

Prices are capped so they rise no faster than inflation.

"We estimate that home prices rose about 6 1/2 percent this year, or a bit more than inflation," he said.

Spending there has been rising far faster than inflation and the costs of other Government programs.

The median price nationally rose 5.1 percent, two points more than inflation, to $142,800.

This academic year, the price of college again rose faster than inflation.

Each time house prices rose rapidly, by substantially more than inflation.