what is cola going to be in 2027

Social Security’s 2027 COLA is currently being estimated at about 3.8% to 4.7%, but the official figure will not be announced until October 2026.

What the forecasts say

• The Senior Citizens League is projecting about 3.8%.

• Other estimates are a bit higher, with Mary Johnson revising her estimate to 4.7%.

• A few reports place the expectation around 3.9%, with a broader likely range of 3% to 4.5% depending on inflation.

Why it may rise

The jump is being driven by higher inflation, especially the CPI-W measure Social Security uses for COLA calculations.

In plain terms, if prices keep climbing through the rest of 2026, the 2027 COLA could end up on the higher side of current forecasts.

Important timing

The final 2027 COLA is not locked in yet. The Social Security Administration typically announces it in October after third-quarter inflation data is available.

Bottom line

Right now, the best answer is: likely around 4% , give or take, with current estimates ranging from the high 3s to the upper 4s.