Consumer prices increase 1.6 percent in 12 months

Over the last 12 months, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1.6 percent before seasonal adjustment.

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The food index has risen 1.8 percent with the food at home index up 2.1 percent over the last 12 months; both 12-month changes are the highest since 2009. The index for food away from home has risen 1.5 percent over that same period.

The energy index has increased 7.3 percent over the last 12 months, with the gasoline index up 13.4 percent. The index for natural gas has declined 6.4 percent over that same period.

Over the last 12 months, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.0 percent. The shelter index has gone up 0.6 percent over that time period with the rent index up 1.0 percent. The index for airline fares has risen 9.8 percent and the indexes for medical care, for used cars and trucks, and for tobacco also increased. The apparel index is unchanged from a year ago, while the indexes for household furnishings and operations and for recreation have declined.

These data come from the BLS Consumer Price Index program. To learn more, see "Consumer Price Index — January 2011" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-11-0203.