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Consumer price index up 4.2 percent from April 2020 to April 2021
May 19, 2021
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 4.2 percent over the 12 months from April 2020 to April 2021. The index rose 2.6 percent for the year ending March 2021. The 4.2 percent increase in April is the largest increase over a 12-month period since a 4.9-percent increase for the year ending September 2008. Over the longer period from January 2020 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) to April 2021, consumer prices increased 3.5 percent.
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, selected items, January 2020–April 2021
Month
Airline fares
Medical care
All items less food and energy
Electricity
Dairy and related products
Cereals and bakery products
Lodging away from home
All items
Full service meals and snacks
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials
Jan 2020
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Feb 2020
103.9
100.3
100.5
100.1
100.6
100.3
105.9
100.3
100.2
100.5
Mar 2020
91.0
100.7
100.5
99.7
101.2
100.6
102.6
100.1
100.2
101.2
Apr 2020
79.7
101.0
100.0
99.5
102.6
103.4
96.3
99.4
99.9
104.0
May 2020
79.0
101.4
99.9
100.0
103.2
103.3
97.6
99.4
100.1
103.4
Jun 2020
80.7
101.7
100.1
102.9
102.4
103.7
99.5
99.9
100.9
104.0
Jul 2020
80.2
102.1
100.6
103.2
101.8
103.4
100.5
100.4
101.3
103.4
Aug 2020
78.2
102.2
101.0
102.7
103.7
103.1
99.1
100.8
101.4
103.7
Sep 2020
77.4
102.0
101.1
103.0
103.4
103.1
96.8
100.9
101.7
103.2
Oct 2020
84.6
101.7
101.2
101.7
102.7
103.2
90.1
100.9
102.0
103.5
Nov 2020
87.5
101.5
101.3
100.8
102.9
102.5
88.6
100.9
102.3
102.1
Dec 2020
80.7
101.3
101.2
101.1
103.9
102.8
87.0
101.0
102.6
103.0
Jan 2021
78.7
101.9
101.4
101.5
103.8
102.5
88.6
101.4
102.9
104.3
Feb 2021
77.3
102.4
101.8
102.3
103.3
103.0
90.1
102.0
103.1
104.6
Mar 2021
77.2
102.5
102.1
102.1
102.8
103.2
96.1
102.7
103.4
104.5
Apr 2021
87.4
102.4
103.0
103.1
103.2
103.4
103.4
103.5
103.6
104.2
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, selected items, January 2020–April 2021 (continued)
Month
Fruits and vegetables
Food away from home
Food
Food at home
Energy
Utility (piped) gas service
Gasoline (all types)
Used cars and trucks
Car and truck rental
Jan 2020
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Feb 2020
99.4
100.2
100.3
100.4
97.8
98.4
96.2
101.0
97.5
Mar 2020
99.3
100.4
100.6
100.8
93.7
97.0
89.1
103.4
94.7
Apr 2020
101.0
100.5
102.2
103.5
85.9
96.3
74.4
102.5
78.0
May 2020
101.7
100.9
102.8
104.4
85.9
96.6
74.2
101.7
74.6
Jun 2020
101.2
101.4
103.3
104.9
90.8
96.6
81.7
100.6
93.3
Jul 2020
101.5
101.9
103.0
103.9
92.8
95.6
85.6
104.0
105.4
Aug 2020
101.7
102.2
103.1
103.8
92.6
95.8
85.7
110.1
107.3
Sep 2020
101.5
102.7
103.1
103.4
93.3
98.6
86.3
112.4
103.9
Oct 2020
102.5
103.0
103.4
103.6
92.2
98.8
84.9
113.5
109.9
Nov 2020
101.5
103.2
103.1
103.0
91.2
102.8
82.6
112.0
114.0
Dec 2020
101.6
103.5
103.4
103.3
93.0
103.7
85.5
110.9
110.0
Jan 2021
102.7
103.9
103.8
103.7
96.4
104.3
91.4
110.0
103.0
Feb 2021
102.8
103.9
103.9
104.0
100.1
105.0
97.7
110.4
108.7
Mar 2021
103.1
104.1
104.1
104.2
106.0
106.5
109.1
113.1
124.3
Apr 2021
104.4
104.4
104.6
104.8
107.5
108.0
111.3
123.9
142.2
Note: Jan. 2020 = 100.0.
Prices for all items less food and energy rose 3.0 percent over the last 12 months, a larger increase than the 1.6-percent rise over the 12 month period ending in March. Energy prices rose 25.1 percent over the last 12 months, while prices for food increased 2.4 percent. Since January 2020, energy prices have increased 7.5 percent, food prices, 4.6 percent.
Prices for food at home increased 1.2 percent over the past 12 months. All six major grocery store categories increased over the period. Prices for fruits and vegetables had the largest increase, 3.3 percent. Prices in several categories increased of less than 1.0 percent, including dairy and related products, other food at home, nonalcoholic beverages, and cereals and bakery products. From January 2020 to April 2021, food at home prices increased 4.8 percent.
Prices for food away from home rose 3.8 percent over the year. Prices for limited service meals rose 6.2 percent, and the for full service meals, 3.7 percent over the last 12 months. Prices for food at employee sites and schools fell sharply over the last 12 months, declining 35.2 percent. Prices for food away from home increased 4.4 percent since January 2020.
Energy prices were up 25.1 percent over the past 12 months. Gasoline prices rose 49.6 percent over the last 12 months, the largest 12-month increase since the year ending January 2010. Natural gas prices increased 12.1 percent, and electricity prices rose 3.6 percent over the year. Over the January 2020–April 2021 period, energy prices increased 7.5 percent, with prices for gasoline up 11.3 percent.
Prices for used cars and trucks increased 21.0 percent over the past 12 months and were up 23.9 percent since January 2020. Prices for car and truck rental increased 42.4 percent from January 2020 to April 2021. Prices for lodging away from home (mainly hotel and motel rooms, also housing at school) were up 3.4 percent since January 2020.
Airline fares increased 9.6 percent over the past year, but were still 12.6 percent lower in April 2021 compared with January 2020.
United States Department of Labor
