January 20, 2012 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
CPI increases 3.0 percent in 2011
The CPI rose 3.0 percent in 2011 after a 1.5-percent increase in 2010. This was the largest December-December increase since 2007.
[Chart data]
The energy index increased 6.6 percent in 2011, a deceleration from the 2010 increase of 7.7 percent. The gasoline index, which rose 13.8 percent in 2010, increased 9.9 percent in 2011.
The index for food accelerated in 2011, rising 4.7 percent compared to a 1.5-percent increase in 2010. The index for food at home rose 6.0 percent in 2011 compared to 1.7 percent in 2010. All six major grocery store food group indexes rose in 2011, with increases ranging from 2.3 percent (fruits and vegetables) to 8.1 percent (dairy and related products).
The index for all items less food and energy also accelerated in 2011, increasing 2.2 percent after its historical low 2010 increase of 0.8 percent. This was the largest increase since 2007. The apparel index rose 4.6 percent in 2011 after a 1.1-percent decline the previous year.
Similarly, the new vehicles index rose 3.2 percent in 2011 after a slight decline in 2010.
These data come from the BLS Consumer Price Index program. To learn more, see "Consumer Price Index — December 2011" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-12-0061.
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