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Help & Tutorials

Chained CPI-All Urban Consumers

Welcome to the step-by-step guide on how to use the Chained CPI-All Urban Consumers one-screen query system

The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) is a monthly measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. The C-CPI-U employs a formula that reflects the effect of substitution that consumers make across item categories in response to changes in relative prices. Index data are available for the U.S. City Average (or national average) only. Indexes are available for the all items index and for selected major subcomponents and aggregates.

This tool lets users query the BLS databases for specific data series. For each survey and program, make a selection for each characteristic in the order listed. As you make your selection, the remaining characteristics will filter to show only choices where data are available. After choosing the series, click on “Add to selection.” If you need more data series, repeat the steps of choosing the data series you need. After you've finished finding the data series you need, click on the “Get Data” button to retrieve the data, and an HTML table with data for the most recent 10 years will display. If you desire a different time period or format, you may modify the options on the data display page, or click on the “More Formatting Options” button for additional options on refining the data retrieval results. Note: Users may not retrieve more than 200 data series in one query.

1. Items Search Box

Type all or part of a search string in the search text box. The contents of the box will filter to show only those options that contain the search string.

2. Select one or more Items

Click on the item of interest to select it. To select multiple options, hold the Ctrl/Command button, and click the desired options. An item is the commodity, service, or special grouping for which Consumer Price Indexes are available.

3. Add to selection

You must make a selection for each of the characteristics in the order listed. Once you have selected all of the characteristics, the “Add to selection” button becomes active. Click the “Add to selection” button to list the selected data series in the “Your selection” box. You can return to the characteristics boxes and make new selections to request additional data series. Click the "Get Data" button to retrieve all the selected data series.

4. Get Data

You must make a selection for each of the characteristics in the order listed. Once you have selected all of the characteristics, the “Get Data” button becomes active. Click to retrieve the data.

 

Last Modified Date: February 20, 2018