In the US, Social Security retirees look forward to hearing about the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase every year. This keeps their benefits in line with inflation. This is what the Social Security Administration (SSA) said: the COLA will be 2.5% in 2025. It may seem like a small rise compared to the big ones in the past—3.2% in 2024 and 8.7% in 2023—but it is not necessarily bad news.