Inflation protection of retirement income is an important part of economic security.
States and cities typically protect the pension benefits and other retirement income they provide public employees via cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).
However, there is a lot of variance in how COLAs are offered. The data below, as of May 2025, show what inflation protection is provided, what limits there are, and who can authorize COLAs.
This article was originally published January 17, 2020.
