January 16, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

CPI up 1.9 percent over the year

For the 12-month period ended in December 2003, the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1.9 percent. In 2002 the increase was 2.4 percent.

[Chart data—TXT]

Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U advanced 1.1 percent during the 12-month period ended in December 2003. This compares with a 1.9-percent rise in "core" CPI in all of 2002. 

The principal reason for the smaller increase in core CPI in 2003 was a smaller advance in shelter costs—up 2.2 percent in 2003 compared with a 3.1-percent rise in 2002. The 2003 increase in the energy index of 6.9 percent was less than the 10.7-percent increase in 2002. The food index rose 3.6 percent in 2003 and 1.5 percent in 2002.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program. Find out more in "Consumer Price Index: December 2003" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 04-29.