May 19, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

CPI up 0.5 percent in April 2005

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.5 percent in April 2005, following an increase of 0.6 percent in March.

Percent change from 12 months ago, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, not seasonally adjusted, April 1996–April 2005
[Chart data—TXT]

Energy costs advanced sharply for the third consecutive month—up 4.5 percent in April. Within energy, the index for petroleum-based energy increased 6.3 percent and the index for energy services increased 2.3 percent.

The index for food rose 0.7 percent. The index for food at home increased 1.1 percent, its largest advance since a similar rise in May 2004. The index for all items less food and energy, which increased 0.4 percent in March, was virtually unchanged in April. Declines in the indexes for apparel and for lodging while away from home, which had accounted for the acceleration in March, were largely responsible for the deceleration in April.

During the first four months of 2005, the CPI-U rose at a 4.8-percent seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). This compares with an increase of 3.3 percent for all of 2004.

For the 12 months ended in April 2005, the CPI-U rose 3.5 percent, as shown in the chart.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program. For more information, see "Consumer Price Index: April 2005" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-871.

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