Consumer price index (CPI-U), all items, United States

The consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U), seasonally adjusted, is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' measure of what a fixed basket of goods and services costs each month, with regular seasonal patterns taken out. Its base is the 1982 to 1984 average, set to 100, so the level itself only says how far prices have risen since then. The BLS publishes each month's index around the middle of the following month.

This is the version to use for the change from one month to the next. Without seasonal adjustment, the index jumps and dips at the same time each year as clothing goes on sale, holiday travel peaks and energy use shifts, and a monthly change would mostly show the calendar. Economists annualize the adjusted monthly change to see whether inflation is speeding up before the 12-month rate shows it.

The pitfall is revision. The BLS recalculates its seasonal factors each year and revises the adjusted index for the previous five years, so a month-on-month figure quoted last spring may differ from the one shown here. The 12-month inflation rate is calculated from the unadjusted index instead, which is not revised; this page and the unadjusted CPI-U page therefore answer different questions.

Consumer price index, all items is at its highest since the series starts in January 2006. Within ten years, consumer price index, all items beats 100% of readings.

CPI for all urban consumers, all items, US city average, seasonally adjusted.

BLS publishes consumer price index, all items monthly in CPI, in index (1982-84 = 100) and is seasonally adjusted. Code: CUSR0000SA0. Method for consumer price index, all items.