Consumer Price Index Summary

Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until                                        
8:30 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, October 14, 2026          USDL-26-1574
	
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CONSUMER PRICE INDEX - SEPTEMBER 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in 
September after rising 0.4 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 
months, the all items index increased 3.7 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The index for gasoline rose 9.1 percent in September, accounting for over half of the monthly all items increase. The 
energy index increased 5.2 percent over the month following a 2.1-percent increase in August. The shelter index rose 0.4 
percent in September after rising 0.3 percent in August. The index for food was unchanged in September, as the index for 
food away from home increased 0.2 percent and the index for food at home fell 0.1 percent. 

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent in September, as it did in August. Indexes that increased 
over the month include recreation, used cars and trucks, education, airline fares, medical care, and apparel. Conversely, 
the index for communication was among the small number of major indexes that decreased in September.

The all items index rose 3.7 percent for the 12 months ending September, a larger increase than the 3.4-percent increase 
reported for the 12 months ending in August. The all items less food and energy index rose 2.6 percent over the year, 
following a 2.4-percent increase over the 12 months ending August. The energy index increased 20.4 percent for the 12 
months ending September. The food index increased 2.5 percent over the last year. 

Food

The food index was unchanged in September after rising 0.1 percent in each of the preceding 2 months. The index for food 
at home decreased 0.1 percent over the month. Three of the six major grocery store food group indexes decreased in 
September, while the other three indexes increased. The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index decreased 0.5 percent over 
the month, as the beef index fell 1.0 percent. The index for other food at home decreased 0.2 percent in September. The 
dairy and related products index decreased 0.9 percent over the month, as the milk index declined 2.0 percent. 

In contrast, the nonalcoholic beverages index increased 0.9 percent in September, as the carbonated drinks index rose 1.5 
percent. The index for fruits and vegetables rose 0.5 percent over the month, and the index for cereals and bakery 
products increased 0.1 percent.

The food away from home index rose 0.2 percent in September. The index for full service meals rose 0.3 percent, and the 
index for limited service meals increased 0.2 over the month.

The food at home index rose 1.8 percent over the 12 months ending in September. The index for fruits and vegetables 
increased 3.7 percent, and the index for other food at home rose 1.8 percent over the year. The nonalcoholic beverages 
index increased 3.8 percent over the 12 months ending in September, and the cereals and bakery products index rose 2.1 
percent over the same period. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 0.3 percent over the last 12 months. 
In contrast, the dairy and related products index fell 0.7 percent over the year.

The food away from home index rose 3.5 percent over the last year. The index for full service meals rose 3.8 percent, and 
the index for limited service meals rose 3.2 percent over the 12 months ending in September. 

Energy

The index for energy increased 5.2 percent in September after rising 2.1 percent in August. The gasoline index increased 
9.1 percent over the month. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices increased 6.5 percent in September.) The index 
for electricity rose 0.2 percent over the month. In contrast, the natural gas index decreased 0.3 percent in September.

The index for energy increased 20.4 percent over the past 12 months due in large part to the index for gasoline rising 
34.2 percent over the same period. The natural gas index increased 5.0 percent over the 12 months ending in September, 
and the electricity index rose 4.4 percent. 

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent in September, as it did in August. The shelter index 
increased 0.4 percent over the month after rising 0.3 percent in August. The index for owners' equivalent rent rose 0.3 
percent in September, and the index for rent increased 0.2 percent. The lodging away from home index rose 2.0 percent in 
September after rising 2.4 percent the previous month.

The index for recreation increased 0.5 percent over the month after being unchanged in August. The used cars and trucks 
index rose 0.7 percent in September, and the education index increased 0.6 percent. The index for airline fares increased 
1.2 percent in September, and the index for apparel rose 0.3 percent. The new vehicles index, the personal care index, 
and the motor vehicle insurance index also increased over the month.

The medical care index increased 0.1 percent in September after falling 0.2 percent in August. The index for hospital 
services rose 0.7 percent over the month. In contrast, the prescription drugs index declined 1.2 percent in September. 
The index for physicians' services was unchanged over the month. 

The communication index declined 0.2 percent in September after rising 2.3 percent in August. The index for household 
furnishings and operations was unchanged over the month.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.6 percent over the past 12 months. The shelter index increased 3.2 
percent over the last year. Other indexes with notable increases over the last year include airline fares (+22.4 percent), 
recreation (+2.8 percent), medical care (+1.5 percent), and education (+3.8 percent).

Not seasonally adjusted CPI measures

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 3.7 percent over the last 12 months to an index level 
of 336.940 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index rose 0.6 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.  

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 3.9 percent over the last 12 months 
to an index level of 330.654 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 0.7 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.  

The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 3.5 percent over the last 12 months. For the 
month, the index increased 0.5 percent on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Please note that the indexes for the past 10 
to 12 months are subject to revision. 
_______________
The Consumer Price Index news release for October 2026 is scheduled to be published on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

Brief Explanation of the CPI
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the change in prices paid by consumers for goods and services. The CPI reflects
spending patterns for each of two population groups: all urban consumers and urban wage earners and clerical workers.
The all urban consumer group represents over 90 percent of the total U.S. population. It is based on the expenditures
of almost all residents of urban or metropolitan areas, including professionals, the self-employed, the poor, the
unemployed, and retired people, as well as urban wage earners and clerical workers. Not included in the CPI are the
spending patterns of people living in rural nonmetropolitan areas, farming families, people in the Armed Forces, and
those in institutions, such as prisons and mental hospitals. Consumer inflation for all urban consumers is measured by
two indexes, namely, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Chained Consumer Price Index for
All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U). 

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) is based on the expenditures of households
included in the CPI-U definition that meet two requirements: more than one-half of the household's income must come
from clerical or wage occupations, and at least one of the household's earners must have been employed for at least 37
weeks during the previous 12 months. The CPI-W population represents approximately 30 percent of the total U.S.
population and is a subset of the CPI-U population.

The CPIs are based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuels, transportation, doctors' and dentists' services, drugs,
and other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Prices are collected each month in 75 urban areas
across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments (department stores,
supermarkets, hospitals, and other types of stores and service establishments). All taxes directly associated with the
purchase and use of items are included in the index. Prices of fuels and a few other items are obtained every month in
all 75 locations. Prices of most other commodities and services are collected every month in the three largest
geographic areas and every other month in other areas. Prices of most goods and services are obtained by personal
visit, telephone call, web, or app collection by the Bureau's trained representatives.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are aggregated using weights, which
represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain
a U.S. city average. For the CPI-U and CPI-W, separate indexes are also published by size of city, by region of the
country, for cross-classifications of regions and population-size classes, and for 23 selected local areas. Area
indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices among cities; they only measure the average change in prices
for each area since the base period. For the C-CPI-U, data are issued only at the national level. The CPI-U and CPI-W
are considered final when released, but the C-CPI-U is issued in preliminary form and subject to three subsequent
quarterly revisions. 

The index measures price change from a designed reference date. For most of the CPI-U and the CPI-W, the reference base
is 1982-84 equals 100. The reference base for the C-CPI-U is December 1999 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from
the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000. Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the
price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. 

Sampling Error in the CPI

The CPI is a statistical estimate that is subject to sampling error because it is based upon a sample of retail prices
and not the complete universe of all prices. BLS calculates and publishes estimates of the 1-month, 2-month, 6-month,
and 12-month percent change standard errors annually for the CPI-U. These standard error estimates can be used to
construct confidence intervals for hypothesis testing. For example, the estimated standard error of the 1-month percent
change is 0.04 percent for the U.S. all items CPI. This means that if we repeatedly sample from the universe of all
retail prices using the same methodology, and estimate a percentage change for each sample, then 95 percent of these
estimates will be within 0.08 percent of the 1-month percentage change based on all retail prices. For example, for a
1-month change of 0.2 percent in the all items CPI-U, we are 95 percent confident that the actual percent change based
on all retail prices would fall between 0.12 and 0.28 percent. For the latest data, including information on how to use
the estimates of standard error, see www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/variance-estimates/home.htm. 

Calculating Index Changes

Movements of the indexes from 1 month to another are usually expressed as percent changes rather than changes in index
points, because index point changes are affected by the level of the index in relation to its base period, while
percent changes are not. The following table shows an example of using index values to calculate percent changes:

                            Item A                  Item B                      Item C
Year I                      112.500                 225.000                     110.000
Year II                     121.500                 243.000                     128.000
Change in index points      9.000                   18.000                      18.000
Percent change              9.0/112.500 x 100 = 8.0  18.0/225.000 x 100 = 8.0   18.0/110.000 x 100 = 16.4

Use of Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted Data

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) program produces both unadjusted and seasonally adjusted data. Seasonally adjusted data
are computed using seasonal factors derived by the X-13ARIMA-SEATS seasonal adjustment method. These factors are
updated each February, and the new factors are used to revise the previous 5 years of seasonally adjusted data. The
factors are available at www.bls.gov/web/cpi/cpi-seasonal-factors.xlsx. For more information on data revision
scheduling, please see the Seasonal Adjustment questions and answers page at
www.bls.gov/cpi/seasonal-adjustment/questions-and-answers.htm and the Timeline of Seasonal Adjustment Methodological
Changes at www.bls.gov/cpi/seasonal-adjustment/timeline-seasonal-adjustment-methodology-changes.htm. 

How to Use Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted Data

For analyzing short-term price trends in the economy, seasonally adjusted changes are usually preferred since they
eliminate the effect of changes that normally occur at the same time and in about the same magnitude every year-such as
price movements resulting from weather events, production cycles, model changeovers, holidays, and sales. This allows
data users to focus on changes that are not typical for the time of year. 

The unadjusted data are of primary interest to consumers concerned about the prices they actually pay. Unadjusted data
are also used extensively for escalation purposes. Many collective bargaining contract agreements and pension plans,
for example, tie compensation changes to the Consumer Price Index before adjustment for seasonal variation. BLS advises
against the use of seasonally adjusted data in escalation agreements because seasonally adjusted series are revised
annually for five years.

Intervention Analysis

The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses intervention analysis seasonal adjustment (IASA) for some CPI series. Sometimes
extreme values or sharp movements can distort the underlying seasonal pattern of price change. Intervention analysis
seasonal adjustment is a process by which the distortions caused by such unusual events are estimated and removed from
the data prior to calculation of seasonal factors. The resulting seasonal factors, which more accurately represent the
seasonal pattern, are then applied to the unadjusted data.

For example, this procedure was used for the motor fuel series to offset the effects of the 2009 return to normal
pricing after the worldwide economic downturn in 2008. Retaining this outlier data during seasonal factor calculation
would distort the computation of the seasonal portion of the time series data for motor fuel, so it was estimated and
removed from the data prior to seasonal adjustment. Following that, seasonal factors were calculated based on this
"prior adjusted" data. These seasonal factors represent a clearer picture of the seasonal pattern in the data. The last
step is for motor fuel seasonal factors to be applied to the unadjusted data.

For the seasonal factors introduced for January 2026, BLS adjusted 57 series using intervention analysis seasonal
adjustment, including selected food and beverage items, motor fuels and vehicles.

Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Indexes

Seasonally adjusted data, including the U.S. city average all items index levels, are subject to revision for up to 5
years after their original release. Every year, economists in the CPI calculate new seasonal factors for seasonally
adjusted series and apply them to the last 5 years of data. Seasonally adjusted indexes beyond the last 5 years of
data are considered to be final and not subject to revision. For January 2026, revised seasonal factors and seasonally
adjusted indexes for 2021 to 2025 were calculated and published. For series which are directly adjusted using the
Census X-13ARIMA-SEATS seasonal adjustment software, the seasonal factors for 2025 will be applied to data for 2026 to
produce the seasonally adjusted 2026 indexes. Series which are indirectly seasonally adjusted by summing seasonally
adjusted component series have seasonal factors which are derived and are therefore not available in advance.

Determining Seasonal Status

Each year the seasonal status of every series is reevaluated based upon certain statistical criteria. Using these
criteria, BLS economists determine whether a series should change its status from "not seasonally adjusted" to
"seasonally adjusted", or vice versa. If any of the 81 components of the U.S. city average all items index change
their seasonal adjustment status from seasonally adjusted to not seasonally adjusted, not seasonally adjusted data
will be used in the aggregation of the dependent series for the last 5 years, but the seasonally adjusted indexes
before that period will not be changed. For 2026, 36 of the 81 components of the U.S. city average all items index are
not seasonally adjusted.

Contact Information

For additional information about the CPI visit www.bls.gov/cpi or contact the CPI Information and Analysis Section at
202-691-7000 or cpi_info@bls.gov. 

For additional information on seasonal adjustment in the CPI visit www.bls.gov/cpi/seasonal-adjustment/home.htm
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