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Consumer prices up 2.7 percent over year ended August 2018

September 18, 2018

Over the 12 months from August 2017 to August 2018, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 2.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted. The August increase was smaller than the 2.9 percent increase for the 12 months ending July 2018.

Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, 12-month percent change, by expenditure category, August 2018
Expenditure category 12-month percent change, August 2017–August 2018 Relative importance, July 2018

All items

2.7% 100.000%

Food

1.4 13.224

Food at home

0.5 7.259

Cereals and bakery products

0.3 0.955

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

1.1 1.610

Dairy and related products

0.0 0.723

Fruits and vegetables

0.9 1.279

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

0.2 0.857

Other food at home

0.1 1.835

Food away from home

2.6 5.965

Energy

10.2 8.079

Energy commodities

20.4 4.634

Fuel oil

30.9 0.117

Motor fuel

20.3 4.445

Gasoline (all types)

20.3 4.351

Energy services

-0.4 3.445

Electricity

-0.5 2.688

Utility (piped) gas service

0.1 0.756

All items less food and energy

2.2 78.697

Commodities less food and energy commodities

-0.2 19.582

Apparel

-1.4 3.006

New vehicles

0.3 3.722

Used cars and trucks

1.3 2.429

Medical care commodities

0.3 1.719

Alcoholic beverages

1.4 0.959

Tobacco and smoking products

3.3 0.647

Services less energy services

3.0 59.115

Shelter

3.4 32.811

Medical care services

1.9 6.897

Transportation services

3.9 5.967

Note: These data are not seasonally adjusted.

Prices for food, which had a relative importance weight of 13.2 percent, increased 1.4 percent over the 12 months ended August 2018. Prices for food at home rose 0.5 percent. Prices for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 1.1 percent over the last year, the largest increase among the six major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home increased 2.6 percent.

Prices for energy, which had a relative importance weight of 8.1 percent, increased 10.2 percent over the past year. Motor fuel prices (which include gasoline) increased 20.3 percent and fuel oil prices rose 30.9 percent. Electricity prices decreased 0.5 percent.

Prices for all items less food and energy, which accounted for 78.7 percent of consumer spending, rose 2.2 percent over the past 12 months. Shelter prices rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, prices for medical care services increased 1.9 percent, while transportation services prices were up 3.9 percent.

These data are from the Consumer Price Index program and are not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see "Consumer Price Index — August 2018." Also see more charts related to the latest Consumer Price Index news release.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Consumer prices up 2.7 percent over year ended August 2018 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/consumer-prices-up-2-point-7-percent-over-year-ended-august-2018.htm (visited March 29, 2024).

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