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News Release Information

20-76-PHI
Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington – December 2019

Area prices down 0.3 percent since October; up 2.4 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington edged down 0.3 percent from October to December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Sheila Watkins noted that the recent two-month decline reflected a 0.3-percent decreased in the all items less food and energy index and a 1.2-percent decline in the energy index, while the food index rose since October, up 0.1 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U increased 2.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The over-the-year rise was led by an increase in the all items less food and energy index (2.5 percent). The food index and energy index also advanced since December 2018, up 1.8 and 2.1 percent, respectively. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index inched up 0.1 percent over the last two months. Prices for food away from home increased since October, up 0.6 percent, while those for food at home declined 0.3 percent. Within the food at home component, prices were lower for citrus fruits; bacon, breakfast sausage, and related products; and fresh fish and seafood; while prices were higher for eggs and pork chops.

Over the year, the food index increased 1.8 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 3.1 percent, and those for food at home were up 0.9 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, decreased 1.2 percent since October. The two-month decline was led by a 5.4-percent decrease in utility (piped) gas service prices. Prices were also lower for gasoline, down 0.7 percent, while those for electricity increased, up 0.8 percent.

Over the year, the energy index advanced 2.1 percent, due to higher gasoline prices, up 4.5 percent. Prices were also higher for electricity, up 2.2 percent. Utility (piped) gas service prices declined since December 2018, down 1.2 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged down 0.3 percent from October to December. Prices were lower for apparel (-9.0 percent) and shelter (-0.6 percent) while prices were higher for recreation (3.3 percent) and education and communication (0.7 percent).

Since December 2018, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.5 percent. Prices were higher for a number of items including shelter (2.6 percent), medical care (3.6 percent), and recreation (4.5 percent), among others.

Table A. Philadelphia CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month

February

-0.2-0.10.30.30.72.10.40.50.81.5

April

0.50.00.90.60.01.30.91.41.31.9

June

0.80.20.30.1-0.30.70.21.90.52.1

August

-0.5-0.3-0.20.40.51.40.31.70.52.3

October

-0.3-0.50.61.30.00.80.01.6-0.41.9

December

-0.6-0.2-0.11.7-0.10.8-0.71.0-0.32.4

The Consumer Price Index for February 2020 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 8:30 am (ET).


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington is published bi-monthly. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. Note: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, Core Based Statistical Area includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; New Castle County in Delaware; and Cecil County in Maryland.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
Historical
data
Oct.
2019
Nov.
2019
Dec.
2019
Dec.
2018
Oct.
2019
Nov.
2019

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0
257.966 257.1942.4-0.3 

All items (1967 = 100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BAA0
745.248 743.021   

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF
239.360 239.2281.7-0.1 

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF1
239.717 239.9661.80.1 

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF11
241.510243.276240.9010.9-0.3-1.0

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF111
302.314 306.2000.51.3 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF112
269.248 266.5251.2-1.0 

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEFJ
208.657 207.7695.1-0.4 

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF113
276.035 270.041-2.7-2.2 

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF114
159.807 160.3791.60.4 

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF115
216.665 218.6161.60.9 

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEFV
231.582 232.9783.10.6 

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF116
231.661 226.047-0.3-2.4 

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH
269.076 267.2692.3-0.7 

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH1
336.156335.282334.2472.6-0.6-0.3

Rent of primary residence

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHA
312.856314.103314.2342.70.40.0

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHC
344.573345.970345.4942.90.3-0.1

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHC01
344.573345.970345.4942.90.3-0.1

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH2
212.996 210.0691.3-1.4 

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH21
174.313174.307171.3530.4-1.7-1.7

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHF
183.773184.046180.7000.9-1.7-1.8

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHF01
178.283178.225179.6592.20.80.8

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHF02
180.596181.360170.917-1.2-5.4-5.8

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH3
115.167 114.4330.5-0.6 

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAA
109.944 100.005-1.1-9.0 

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAT
211.840 211.2682.5-0.3 

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAT1
210.394 210.5672.10.1 

New and used motor vehicles(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETA
99.214 98.2940.2-0.9 

New vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETA01
179.138 177.8920.0-0.7 

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETA02
255.555 254.0100.2-0.6 

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETB
240.552243.930239.0414.3-0.6-2.0

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETB01
237.105240.417235.5194.5-0.7-2.0

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSS47014
233.767237.157232.3454.7-0.6-2.0

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSS47015
243.922246.558243.3104.5-0.3-1.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSS47016
241.669244.195238.7562.5-1.2-2.2

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETE
712.845 728.5810.62.2 

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAM
546.358 550.5073.60.8 

Recreation(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAR
122.272 126.3504.53.3 

Education and communication(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAE
132.661 133.5982.30.7 

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEEB
1,052.538 1,052.5381.60.0 

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAG
554.639 556.2002.90.3 

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAC
181.587 179.6551.8-1.1 

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSACL11
149.551 147.1321.8-1.6 

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSANL11
192.922 188.9452.4-2.1 

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAD
102.660 101.7170.9-0.9 

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAS
335.207 335.3942.70.1 

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0L2
232.130 231.7822.3-0.1 

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0L5
245.788 244.7942.3-0.4 

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSACL1
152.547 150.0391.8-1.6 

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAN
217.570 215.1472.1-1.1 

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSANL1
195.249 191.1872.3-2.1 

Services less rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSASL2RS
341.577 344.0662.80.7 

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSASL5
319.348 319.3472.50.0 

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0E
198.140199.403195.7402.1-1.2-1.8

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0LE
266.560 265.9782.4-0.2 

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0L1E
273.766 273.0552.5-0.3 

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base
(2) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2020