The Consumer Price Indexes (CPI) program produces monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services.

Announcements

  • NEW The indexes for prescription drugs were incorrect as published for May 2016 through August 2016, which affected the U.S. All items index. Incorrect prices were used in the calculation of indexes in several local areas. A list of the series affected by the errors can be found at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/cpi-price-corrections-10182016.htm.
  • NEW In January 2018, BLS will introduce a new geographic area sample for the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The 2018 revision utilizes the 2010 Decennial Census and incorporates an updated area sample design, changes the frequency of publication for several local area indexes, and establishes some new local area and aggregate indexes. The first indexes using the new structure will be published in February 2018. Additional information on the geographic revision is available at: http://www.bls.gov/cpi/georevision2018.htm.
  • Change in formula for calculation of index for prescription drugs
    Effective with release of data for January 2016, an arithmetic mean (Laspeyres) formula will replace the geometric mean formula in the calculation of the elementary indexes in the CPI-U, CPI-W, and C-CPI-U for prescription drugs. The Laspeyres formula at the elementary index level is more appropriate for use in categories in which substitution by the consumer in response to price change is difficult or unrealistic. A description of the 1999 adoption of the geometric mean formula for many elementary indexes is available at http://www.bls.gov/mlr/1998/10/art1full.pdf.
  • Comparison of BLS Price and Spending Measures (HTML)
  • Background documents on the Chained Consumer Price Index are available from http://www.bls.gov/cpi/superlink.htm
  • BLS Report Series: Beyond the Numbers
  • Common Misconceptions about the Consumer Price Index: Questions and Answers

Next Release:

  • October 2016 CPI data are scheduled to be released on November 17, 2016, at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time.

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CPI News Releases

CPI for all items rises 0.3% in September as gasoline and shelter indexes rise

10/18/2016

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.3 percent in September after rising 0.2 percent in August. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in September after increasing 0.3 percent in August.
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Current CPI Economic News Releases

Archived

 

CPI Databases

Databases

Database Name Special
Notice		 Top
Picks		 Data
Finder		 One
Screen		 Multi-
Screen		 Tables Text Files
All Urban Consumers (Current Series)
(Consumer Price Index - CPI) 		  Top Picks for CPI Current Series   One Screen Data Search for CPI Current Series Multi Screen Data Search for CPI Current Series Tables for CPI Current Series Text Files for CPI Current Series
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (Current Series)
(Consumer Price Index - CPI) 		  Top Picks for CPI Urban Wage Earners   One Screen Data Search for CPI Urban Wage Earners Multi Screen Data Search for CPI Urban Wage Earners Tables for CPI Urban Wage Earners Text Files for CPI Urban Wage Earners
All Urban Consumers (Chained CPI)
(Consumer Price Index - CPI) 		Special Notice for Chained CPI Top Picks for Chained CPI   One Screen Data Search for Chained CPI Multi Screen Data Search for Chained CPI Tables for Chained CPI Text Files for Chained CPI
Average Price Data
(Consumer Price Index - CPI) 		Special Notice for CPI Average Price Data Top Picks for CPI Average Price Data   One Screen Data Search for CPI Average Price Data Multi Screen Data Search for CPI Average Price Data Tables for CPI Average Price Data Text Files for CPI Average Price Data

 

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CPI Tables

Consumer Price Index History Table:

  • Table Containing History of CPI-U U.S. All Items Indexes and Annual Percent Changes From 1913 to Present is now available in the CPI Detailed Report as Table 24

CPI Detailed Report Tables:

  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) September 2016 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) August 2016 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) July 2016 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables, including first half semiannual average indexes) June 2016 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) May 2016 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) April 2016 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) March 2016 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) February 2016 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) January 2016 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables, including second half and annual averages) December 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) November 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) October 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) September 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) August 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) July 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables, including first half semiannual average indexes) June 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) May 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) April 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) March 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) February 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables, including second half 2014 semiannual averages and 2014 annual averages) Janurary 2015 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) December 2014 (PDF)
  • CPI Detailed Report (complete text and tables) November 2014 (PDF)
  • Archived CPI Detailed Report Tables October 2000-current

Relative Importance of Items in the Consumer Price Index

December 2015

  • Table 1, U.S. City Average using 2013-2014 weights (TXT)
  • Table 1, U.S. City Average using 2011-2012 weights (PDF)
  • Tables 1 - 7, Relative Importance of Components in the Consumer Price Index, all areas (PDF)

Relative Importance files for earlier years may be found on our Archived Relative Importance's page

Department Store Inventory Price Indexes

Department Store Inventory Price Indexes were last published for December 2013. Indexes are available at http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpilifo.htm

CPI Publications

Publications

Reports

  • CPI research series using current methods
  • Pharmaceutical Pricing in the PPI, CPI, and IPP
  • Reconciliation Between the CPI and PCE Price Index. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) undertook a joint project to detail and quantify the differences between the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Chain-type Price Index. A paper summarizing these differences can be found on the BEA website at http://www.bea.gov/papers/pdf/cpi_pce.pdf. The latest reconciliation tables can be found at http://www.bea.gov/national/consumer_spending.htm.
  • The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) produces regional price parities (RPPs). RPPs measure the differences in the price levels of goods and services across states and metropolitan areas for a given year. RPPs are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level for each year, which is equal to 100.0. These data, which are the products of BEA and not BLS, can be found at https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/rpp/rpp_newsrelease.htm.
  • Treatment of Owner-Occupied Housing in the CPI - Paper presented to the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee (FESAC) on December 9, 2005 (PDF)
  • Updating the Housing Age-Bias Regression model in the Consumer Price Index (PDF)
  • Guidelines for Quality Adjustment of New Vehicle Prices (PDF)
  • Experimental Consumer Price Index for Americans 62 years of Age and Older, 1982-2007 (Monthly Labor Review April 2008) (PDF)
  • Experimental Consumer Price Index for Americans 62 years of Age and Older, 1982-2009 (PDF)
  • Response Rates for the Consumer Price Indexes, 2015 (PDF)
  • Response rates for earlier years
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2003 - December 2003 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2004 - December 2004 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2005 - December 2005 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2006 - December 2006 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2007 - December 2007 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2008 - December 2008 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2009 - December 2009 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2010 - December 2010 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2011 - December 2011 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2012 - December 2012 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2013 - December 2013 (PDF)
  • Variance Estimates for Changes in the Consumer Price Index, January 2014 - December 2014 (PDF)
  • Consumer Price Index Users Survey (PDF 262K)
  • Hedonic Quality Adjustment in the U.S. CPI

Monthly Labor Review articles related to the Consumer Price Index

CPI Fact Sheets

How BLS Measures Price Change in the Consumer Price Index for:

CPI Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is the CPI?
  2. How is the CPI used?
  3. Whose buying habits does the CPI reflect?
  4. Is the CPI a cost-of-living index?
  5. Does the CPI measure my experience with price changes?
  6. How is the CPI market basket determined?
  7. What goods and services does the CPI cover?
  8. How are CPI prices collected and reviewed?
  9. How is the CPI calculated?
  10. How are taxes treated in the CPI?

All CPI FAQs »

CPI Special Notices

Notices

NEW The indexes for Prescription drugs were incorrect as published for May 2016 through August 2016, which affected the U.S. All items index. Incorrect prices were used in the calculation of indexes in several local areas. A list of the series affected by the errors can be found at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/cpi-price-corrections-10182016.htm.

NEW In January 2018, BLS will introduce a new geographic area sample for the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The 2018 revision utilizes the 2010 Decennial Census and incorporates an updated area sample design, changes the frequency of publication for several local area indexes, and establishes some new local area and aggregate indexes. The first indexes using the new structure will be published in February 2018. Additional information on the geographic revision is available at: http://www.bls.gov/cpi/georevision2018.htm.

Revised Seasonal Indexes

UPDATED Each year with the release of the January CPI, seasonal adjustment factors are recalculated to reflect price movements from the just-completed calendar year. This routine annual recalculation may result in revisions to seasonally adjusted indexes for the previous 5 years. BLS made available recalculated seasonally adjusted indexes, as well as recalculated seasonal adjustment factors, for the period January 2011 through December 2015, on Wednesday, February 17, 2016.

For information on seasonal adjustment in the CPI, including revised indexes, seasonal factors, methodology, and actions taken in 2015, see our page on seasonal adjustment.

Social Security COLA

Soon after the publication of September CPI data each October, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announces the annual change in its benefit payments for the coming year for Social Security's Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. Specific information on how the Social Security Administration uses the CPI to determine cost-of-living adjustments can be found at http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/colasummary.html.

CPI Published Numbers

Effective with the release in February 2007 of the January 2007 Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) began to publish its consumer price indexes rounded to three decimal places. Percent changes will be calculated from the three decimal place indexes. Those percent changes will continue to be published to one decimal place. For additional information, please see "Publishing Consumer Price Indexes to Three Decimal Places: Questions and Answers".

Contact Us

Contacts

    For hard copies of Consumer Price Index publications or historical data and help with general index questions, including escalator clauses in contracts:

    • Information and Analysis: (202) 691-7000

    For more information about how we treat and price commodity and service items in the Consumer Price Index:

    • Food: (202) 691-6988
    • Housing (rent and owners' equivalent rent): (202) 691-6991
    • Transportation and Household Commodities (including gasoline, new cars, furniture and appliances): (202) 691-6982
    • Apparel and Sundry (Nondurable) Commodities: (202) 691-6979
    • Services (including medical care, utilities, insurance): (202) 691-6985

    For help finding Consumer Price Index data in LABSTAT and for information on seasonal adjustment and other technical issues:

    • Production and Control: (202) 691-6968