Imagine you have 10 candies today and you can buy all those candies with $5. But next year, the price of candies increases to $6. Now you still have 10 candies but you need to pay $6 instead of $5. This is what inflation means - the prices of things we buy goes up over time.
Inflation rate is a way of measuring how much the prices have gone up over a certain period of time. It is like measuring how much taller you have become in a year. If the inflation rate is 2%, it means that the prices have gone up by 2% compared to last year.
Why does this happen? One reason is that there is more money in the economy. When there is more money, people can afford to pay more for things, which makes the prices go up. Another reason is that the cost of producing things can increase, such as the cost of materials or labor.
Inflation rate is important because it affects our daily lives. If prices are going up too quickly, it means we need to spend more money to buy the same things we used to buy. This can make it harder for people to save money or afford basic necessities like food and housing. On the other hand, if prices are going up too slowly or not at all, it can lead to problems as well, such as businesses cutting jobs or investments in the economy slowing down.