January 18, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Consumer prices in 1999

For the 12 month period ended in December, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 2.7 percent. This compares with an increase of 1.6 percent for all of 1998.

[Chart data—TXT]

The acceleration in 1999 reflects an upturn in petroleum-based energy prices. The energy index, which declined 8.8 percent in 1998, increased 13.4 percent in 1999. Following a 15.1 percent decline in 1998, petroleum-based energy costs increased 29.5 percent in 1999, its largest annual advance since a 35.4 percent increase in 1990

The CPI-U excluding food and energy advanced 1.9 percent in 1999. This rise was the smallest annual change in the index for all items less food and energy since a 1.5 percent increase in 1965.

These data are a product of the BLS Consumer Price Index program. Find out more in Consumer Price Indexes, December 1999, news release USDL 00-12. Annual percent changes are December to December.