The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast increased 0.6 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the recent increase reflected advances in the all items less food and energy index (0.5 percent) and the energy index (2.3 percent) since February. The food index also increased over the month, up 0.6 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 Northeast all items CPI-U increased 2.1 percent (See chart 1 and table A.) This reflected an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 1.3 percent. The energy index and the food index also rose since March 2020, up 9.9 and 3.3 percent, respectively. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index increased 0.6 percent since February. Prices were higher for both food away from home and food at home, up 1.0 and 0.3 percent, respectively.

From March 2020 to March 2021, the food index increased 3.3 percent. Prices for food away from home increased over the year, up 4.5 percent; those for food at home also rose, up 2.5 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, rose 2.3 percent in March, due to a 9.1-percent advance in gasoline prices. Prices were lower for electricity (-5.0 percent), while those for utility (piped) gas service were unchanged over the month.

The energy index rose 9.9 percent since March 2020. The increase reflected a rise in prices for gasoline (19.4 percent). Prices for utility (piped) gas service also advanced over the year, up 4.7 percent, as did fuel oil prices, up 21.5 percent, while they were lower for electricity (-0.8 percent) over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.5 percent since February. Over-the-month price increases were led by shelter (0.5 percent), particularly those for lodging away from home (13.1 percent), as well as used cars and trucks (2.3 percent) and other goods and services (1.4 percent), while prices for medical care edged down 0.2 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.3 percent since March 2020, led by higher prices for shelter (1.3 percent), particularly those for owners’ equivalent rent of residences (1.6 percent). Prices also increased for used cars and trucks (9.3 percent), household furnishings and operations (4.4 percent), and education and communication (1.7 percent) over the year.

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2017		2018		2019		2020		2021
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.6	2.5	0.5	1.6	0.3	1.5	0.7	2.3	0.4	1.1
February	0.3	2.6	0.4	1.7	0.2	1.3	0.3	2.4	0.4	1.2
March	-0.1	2.2	0.1	2.0	0.5	1.7	-02	1.7	0.6	2.1
April	0.3	1.9	0.4	2.1	0.4	1.7	-0.4	0.8
May	0.1	1.7	0.4	2.5	0.3	1.5	0.0	0.6
June	0.0	1.5	0.0	2.6	0.1	1.6	0.3	0.8
July	-0.2	1.3	0.0	2.7	0.1	1.7	0.4	1.1
August	0.3	1.6	0.2	2.7	0.1	1.5	0.1	1.1
September	0.5	1.9	0.1	2.2	0.0	1.4	0.1	1.2
October	-0.1	1.5	-0.1	2.3	-0.1	1.5	-0.2	1.1
November	0.0	1.6	-0.4	1.9	0.1	1.9	0.1	1.1
December	0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.9	0.2	1.4

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U increased in the New England division, up 1.0 percent, and the Middle Atlantic division, up 0.5 percent.

Over the year, prices rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 2.2 percent. The all items index also rose in the New England division (1.8 percent). (See table B.)

 Table B. CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, Northeast region and divisions, not seasonally adjusted

Area	1-month change	12-month change
Northeast	0.6	2.1
New England Division	1.0	1.8
Middle Atlantic Division	0.5	2.2

The Consumer Price Index for April 2021 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

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 U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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 6,000 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

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 Northeast region is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The New England division is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Middle Atlantic division is comprised of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

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, Northeast Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	Jan. 2021	Feb. 2021	Mar. 2021	Mar. 2020	Jan. 2021	Feb. 2021
All items		275.427	276.473	278.197	2.1	1.0	0.6
All items (December 1977 = 100)		433.714	435.361	438.075
Food and beverages		276.544	275.338	276.783	3.2	0.1	0.5
Food		277.329	276.024	277.661	3.3	0.1	0.6
Food at home		260.725	259.405	260.243	2.5	-0.2	0.3
Cereals and bakery products		305.756	305.845	305.942	2.4	0.1	0.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		266.652	264.981	267.033	4.3	0.1	0.8
Dairy and related products		241.290	239.434	239.061	2.0	-0.9	-0.2
Fruits and vegetables		327.414	323.135	325.273	3.7	-0.7	0.7
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		180.068	180.307	180.914	2.0	0.5	0.3
Other food at home		230.810	230.211	230.228	0.5	-0.3	0.0
Food away from home		305.716	304.423	307.319	4.5	0.5	1.0
Alcoholic beverages		265.307	265.449	264.273	2.0	-0.4	-0.4
Housing		295.732	296.629	297.291	1.8	0.5	0.2
Shelter		367.500	368.060	369.937	1.3	0.7	0.5
Rent of primary residence		372.819	373.037	373.351	1.4	0.1	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		382.489	382.844	383.526	1.6	0.3	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		382.164	382.520	383.196	1.6	0.3	0.2
Fuels and utilities		232.598	236.725	231.807	3.5	-0.3	-2.1
Household energy		203.821	207.974	202.646	3.4	-0.6	-2.6
Energy services		205.451	207.387	200.205	0.9	-2.6	-3.5
Electricity		210.217	212.415	201.762	-0.8	-4.0	-5.0
Utility (piped) gas service		180.929	182.220	182.207	4.7	0.7	0.0
Household furnishings and operations		125.433	125.504	125.826	4.4	0.3	0.3
Apparel		123.651	125.518	126.937	-2.6	2.7	1.1
Transportation		201.972	204.854	210.476	4.8	4.2	2.7
Private transportation		197.348	200.630	207.196	6.6	5.0	3.3
New and used motor vehicles(2)		98.971	99.098	101.246	5.0	2.3	2.2
New vehicles		146.504	145.605	146.136	1.2	-0.3	0.4
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		101.528	100.909	101.285	1.2	-0.2	0.4
New cars(3)		136.581	137.258	137.174	2.4	0.4	-0.1
Used cars and trucks		156.320	157.018	160.571	9.3	2.7	2.3
Motor fuel		208.047	222.021	242.183	19.2	16.4	9.1
Gasoline (all types)		207.088	221.060	241.208	19.4	16.5	9.1
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		203.807	218.055	238.438	20.1	17.0	9.3
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		225.269	237.307	256.052	15.4	13.7	7.9
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		221.546	232.903	250.493	15.3	13.1	7.6
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		597.820	603.610	610.393	-4.0	2.1	1.1
Medical care		547.280	549.824	548.730	0.5	0.3	-0.2
Medical care commodities		379.575	378.260	378.497	-3.8	-0.3	0.1
Medical care services		596.446	600.187	598.682	1.4	0.4	-0.3
Professional services		414.716	417.577	415.405	3.7	0.2	-0.5
Recreation(2)		127.887	128.468	128.684	0.3	0.6	0.2
Education and communication(2)		148.860	149.138	149.349	1.7	0.3	0.1
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,311.106	1,310.643	1,311.727	0.8	0.0	0.1
Other goods and services		513.920	513.550	520.572	2.1	1.3	1.4
Commodity and service group
Commodities		193.696	194.769	197.254	3.7	1.8	1.3
Commodities less food and beverages		150.477	152.419	155.199	4.0	3.1	1.8
Nondurables less food and beverages		190.216	194.410	199.422	4.0	4.8	2.6
Durables		104.661	104.831	105.749	4.1	1.0	0.9
Services		353.853	354.874	355.873	1.2	0.6	0.3
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		243.636	244.859	246.534	2.5	1.2	0.7
All items less medical care		263.441	264.420	266.273	2.2	1.1	0.7
Commodities less food		154.529	156.434	159.124	3.9	3.0	1.7
Nondurables		232.745	234.350	237.662	3.6	2.1	1.4
Nondurables less food		194.615	198.566	203.208	3.8	4.4	2.3
Services less rent of shelter(1)		351.242	352.782	352.858	1.2	0.5	0.0
Services less medical care services		337.139	337.972	339.144	1.2	0.6	0.3
Energy		205.613	213.744	218.736	9.9	6.4	2.3
All items less energy		285.295	285.709	287.157	1.6	0.7	0.5
All items less food and energy		288.524	289.246	290.670	1.3	0.7	0.5
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.