The Consumer Price Index edged up 0.2% in September on a seasonally adjusted annual basis, the same increase as in August and July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.4% before seasonal adjustment.
The index for all items less food and energy, the “core CPI”, rose 0.3% in September as it did in August and 3.3% over the last 12 months.
The index for shelter increased 0.2% in September. The shelter index increased 0.5% in August and 0.5% in July.
The food index rose 0.4% in September, after rising 0.1% in August. The food at home increased 0.4% in September after rising 0.1% in August. Five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the month. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 0.8% in September as the index for eggs increased 8.4%. The index for other food at home rose 0.2% in September, while the index for fruits and vegetables increased 0.8%.
The energy index fell 1.9% in September, after declining 0.8% in August. The gasoline index decreased 4.1% over the month. The electricity index increased 0.7% over the month, as did the natural gas index. The energy index decreased 6.8% over the past 12 months. The gasoline index fell 15.3% over a 12-month span, and the fuel oil index fell 22.4% over that period. The index for electricity increased 3.7% over the last 12 months, and the index for natural gas rose 2.0%.
Read the BLS release.
