Social Security COLA for 2027 may be higher as inflation rises, new estimates find

A man walks by the dairy section at a supermarket in Houston, Texas, on March 17, 2026. Ronaldo Schemidt | AFP | Getty Images New government data showing rising inflation points to a higher Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, according to new forecasts. The Social Security COLA may be 4.2% amid "sharply rising" gasoline, energy and fresh produce prices, according to Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst. …