The Consumer Price Index increased 0.3% in September on a seasonally adjusted annual basis, after rising 0.4% in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.0%.
The index for all items less food and energy, the “core CPI”, rose 0.2% in September, after rising 0.3% in each of the two preceding months, and 3.0% over the last 12 months.
The index for gasoline rose 4.1% in September and was the largest factor in the all items monthly increase, as the index for energy rose 1.5% over the month. The food index increased 0.2% over the month as the food at home index rose 0.3% and the food away from home index increased 0.1%.
Four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in September. The index for other food at home rose 0.5 percent over the month after rising 0.1 percent in August. The cereals and bakery products index and the nonalcoholic beverages index both increased 0.7 percent in September. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 0.3 percent over the month following a 1.0-percent increase in August.
The energy index rose 1.5% in September as the gasoline index increased 4.1% over the month but down 0.5% year-over-year. The index for electricity decreased 0.5% over the month but increased 5.1% year-over-year. The index for natural gas decreased 1.2% over the month but up 11.7% year-over-year.
Read the BLS release.
