CPI up 2.7 percent from March 2011 to March 2012

Over the last 12 months, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 2.7 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.3 percent since March 2011.

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The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.2 percent in March after a 0.1-percent increase in February. The shelter index increased 0.2 percent, the sixth straight such increase, with the indexes for rent and owners' equivalent rent both increasing 0.2 percent. The index for used cars and trucks rose sharply in March, increasing 1.3 percent after declining in each of the previous six months. The medical care index rose 0.3 percent in March, and the apparel index rose 0.5 percent after declining in February.

The energy index, which rose 3.2 percent in February, increased 0.9 percent in March. The gasoline index rose 1.7 percent following its 6.0-percent February increase.

The food index rose 0.2 percent in March after being unchanged in February.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program. To learn more, see "Consumer Price Index — March 2012" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-12-0666.