The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast rose 1.3 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The 1.3 percent advance is the highest increase on record since monthly publication of the series started in January 1987. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the increase was largely due to higher prices for energy, up 11.2 percent, as gasoline prices rose 18.0 percent over the month; each were the highest increases since 2005. Increases were broad based: the all items less food and energy index, up 0.5 percent, and the food index, up 0.7 percent, also contributed overall increase. (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 7.3 percent, the largest increase since December 1981. (See chart 1 and table A.) The all items less food and energy index was mostly responsible for the over-the-year increase, up 5.0 percent, but the energy index jumped 34.4 percent, largely the result of higher gasoline prices. The food index advanced 7.6 percent over-the-year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 0.7 percent for the month of March. (See table 1.) Of the two major components within the food index, prices for food at home increased 0.9 percent, while prices for food away from home rose 0.4 percent for the same period. Food at home prices were higher for other food at home (2.2 percent), fruits and vegetables (0.9 percent), and cereals and bakery products (0.6 percent) among other categories.

From March 2021 to March 2022, the food index increased 7.6 percent, the same rate as in February – the highest 12-month change since June 1981. Prices for food at home advanced 8.6 percent since a year ago, the greatest such increase in 32 years. The food away from home index increased 5.9 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 11.2 percent over the month, the highest increase since September 2005, mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (18.0 percent) although fuel oil increased 22.2 percent. Electricity and utility (piped) gas service advanced 4.5 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.

Energy prices advanced 34.4 percent over the year, the 14th consecutive increase and the largest since September 2005. Gasoline prices rose 47.6 percent, below the November peak of 57.1 percent. Electricity prices were up 16.8 percent, the largest 12-month rise since January 2006, while fuel oil prices jumped 69.7 percent. The utility (piped) gas service index was up 20.4 percent, less than the October peak of 25.6 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent in March. Higher prices for shelter (0.5 percent), specifically lodging away from home (10.5 percent) drove the increase. Prices increased for apparel (2.8 percent) and medical care (0.7 percent), as well. The new and used motor vehicles index decreased 0.3 percent as prices were lower for both used cars and trucks (-1.9 percent) and new vehicles (-0.9 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 5.0 percent for the second consecutive month, marking the largest 12-month rise since 1991. New and used motor vehicles increased 20.2 percent due in part to used cars and trucks, up 36.8 percent but below February’s rise of 42.5 percent. The shelter index advanced 3.0 percent as owners’ equivalent rent of residences was up 2.8 percent. Household furnishings and operations prices increased 8.9 percent, the largest in over 41 years.

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

Month	2018		2019		2020		2021		2022
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.5	1.6	0.3	1.5	0.7	2.3	0.4	1.1	0.8	6.3
February	0.4	1.7	0.2	1.3	0.3	2.4	0.4	1.2	0.7	6.6
March	0.1	2.0	0.5	1.7	-0.2	1.7	0.6	2.1	1.3	7.3
April	0.4	2.1	0.4	1.7	-0.4	0.8	0.7	3.3
May	0.4	2.5	0.3	1.5	0.0	0.6	0.6	3.9
June	0.0	2.6	0.1	1.6	0.3	0.8	1.0	4.6
July	0.0	2.7	0.1	1.7	0.4	1.1	0.2	4.3
August	0.2	2.7	0.1	1.5	0.1	1.1	0.1	4.4
September	0.1	2.2	0.0	1.4	0.1	1.2	0.3	4.6
October	-0.1	2.3	-0.1	1.5	-0.2	1.1	0.6	5.4
November	-0.4	1.9	0.1	1.9	0.1	1.1	0.6	6.0
December	-0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.9	0.2	1.4	0.2	5.9

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U was 1.4 percent higher in the New England division, while prices in the Middle Atlantic division rose 1.2 percent.

Over the year, prices rose in the New England division (7.4 percent) and up higher in the Middle Atlantic division, up 7.2 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	1.3	7.3
New England Division	1.4	7.4
Middle Atlantic Division	1.2	7.2

The April 2022 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on May 11, 2022.

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 individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

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. 2022	Feb. 2022	Mar. 2022	Mar. 2021	Jan. 2022	Feb. 2022
All items		292.644	294.605	298.403	7.3	2.0	1.3
All items (December 1977 = 100)		460.825	463.912	469.894
Food and beverages		292.369	295.233	297.203	7.4	1.7	0.7
Food		294.032	296.880	298.883	7.6	1.6	0.7
Food at home		275.323	280.327	282.730	8.6	2.7	0.9
Cereals and bakery products		326.232	333.363	335.526	9.7	2.8	0.6
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		291.962	296.569	297.267	11.3	1.8	0.2
Dairy and related products		248.980	252.336	253.603	6.1	1.9	0.5
Fruits and vegetables		334.196	342.776	345.908	6.3	3.5	0.9
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		188.815	192.892	192.256	6.3	1.8	-0.3
Other food at home		243.344	246.557	252.079	9.5	3.6	2.2
Food away from home		325.824	324.347	325.521	5.9	-0.1	0.4
Alcoholic beverages		269.129	272.179	273.704	3.6	1.7	0.6
Housing		309.877	310.168	313.196	5.3	1.1	1.0
Shelter		377.619	379.166	380.887	3.0	0.9	0.5
Rent of primary residence		380.092	381.549	382.076	2.3	0.5	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		392.127	393.611	394.432	2.8	0.6	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		391.777	393.266	394.084	2.8	0.6	0.2
Fuels and utilities		272.944	266.556	279.655	20.6	2.5	4.9
Household energy		244.870	237.801	251.512	24.1	2.7	5.8
Energy services		240.319	229.158	236.042	17.9	-1.8	3.0
Electricity		244.010	225.379	235.572	16.8	-3.5	4.5
Utility (piped) gas service		215.517	219.240	219.386	20.4	1.8	0.1
Household furnishings and operations		135.607	136.146	137.074	8.9	1.1	0.7
Apparel		127.597	130.827	134.447	5.9	5.4	2.8
Transportation		238.672	243.040	252.063	19.8	5.6	3.7
Private transportation		238.284	242.462	251.301	21.3	5.5	3.6
New and used motor vehicles(2)		121.034	122.080	121.692	20.2	0.5	-0.3
New vehicles		163.541	164.588	163.078	11.6	-0.3	-0.9
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		113.377	114.105	113.060	11.6	-0.3	-0.9
New cars(3)		154.025	155.361	154.520	12.6	0.3	-0.5
Used cars and trucks		221.939	223.773	219.614	36.8	-1.0	-1.9
Motor fuel		289.713	302.827	357.632	47.7	23.4	18.1
Gasoline (all types)		288.602	301.617	356.041	47.6	23.4	18.0
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		286.049	299.401	354.027	48.5	23.8	18.2
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		305.514	316.597	371.363	45.0	21.6	17.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		294.217	304.471	355.314	41.8	20.8	16.7
Motor vehicle insurance(5)
Medical care		558.761	559.364	563.166	2.6	0.8	0.7
Medical care commodities		381.730	381.715	383.644	1.4	0.5	0.5
Medical care services		610.828	611.630	616.008	2.9	0.8	0.7
Professional services		423.951	423.559	423.664	2.0	-0.1	0.0
Recreation(2)		134.030	135.169	135.923	5.6	1.4	0.6
Education and communication(2)		152.624	153.193	152.753	2.3	0.1	-0.3
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,341.713	1,342.406	1,342.234	2.3	0.0	0.0
Other goods and services		538.725	546.304	552.074	6.1	2.5	1.1
Commodity and service group
Commodities		215.482	218.530	223.384	13.2	3.7	2.2
Commodities less food and beverages		173.555	176.494	182.158	17.4	5.0	3.2
Nondurables less food and beverages		215.991	221.564	236.826	18.8	9.6	6.9
Durables		123.083	124.063	123.348	16.6	0.2	-0.6
Services		366.687	367.514	370.184	4.0	1.0	0.7
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		263.428	265.539	270.076	9.5	2.5	1.7
All items less medical care		280.935	282.949	286.740	7.7	2.1	1.3
Commodities less food		177.231	180.192	185.784	16.8	4.8	3.1
Nondurables		253.821	258.094	266.941	12.3	5.2	3.4
Nondurables less food		219.067	224.476	238.860	17.5	9.0	6.4
Services less rent of shelter(1)		367.302	367.351	371.135	5.2	1.0	1.0
Services less medical care services		349.877	350.704	353.256	4.2	1.0	0.7
Energy		263.647	264.302	293.911	34.4	11.5	11.2
All items less energy		299.031	301.134	302.683	5.4	1.2	0.5
All items less food and energy		301.822	303.806	305.285	5.0	1.1	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.