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News Release Information

22-893-PHI
Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington – April 2022

Area prices were up 2.2 percent over the past two months, up 8.4 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 2.2 percent for the 2 months ending in April 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the April increase is the largest increase for this index since July 1982. The increase was primarily due to a 1.5 percent jump in the all items less food and energy index driven by higher prices for shelter and medical care. A 9.3 percent increase in the energy index and a 2.5 percent rise in the food index also contributed to the 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 CPI-U advanced 8.4 percent, the largest over-the-year increase since January 1982. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy increased 6.3 percent over the year, the largest over-the-year increase since March 1991. Energy prices were up 32.9 percent mostly due to higher gasoline prices. Food prices increased 9.5 percent, the largest over-the-year increase for food since March 1981. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices increased 2.5 percent in April, reflecting a 3.5-percent price increase for food at home, driven by increasing prices for other food at home (5.3 percent), fruits and vegetables (5.6 percent), and dairy and related products (4.2 percent), though all major grocery categories were higher since February. The increases for other food at home as well as fruits and vegetables were the largest increases since these series started in 2018. Food away from home prices increased 1.0 percent since February, continuing a moderating trend since December when they rose 2.2 percent.

Over the year, food prices increased 9.5 percent, the largest increase since March 1981. Food at home prices jumped 12.6 percent; the largest over-the-year increase since August 1978, as all of the major grocery categories were up over the year, led by other food at home (15.1 percent) – the largest increase since the series started in 2018 – and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (at 14.8 percent it was below the February largest 12-month increase, the peak increase for that series). Prices for food away from home also rose, up 5.0 percent, down from 5.5 percent in February.

Energy

The energy index increased 9.3 percent over the 2-month pricing period, largely due to higher prices for gasoline, up 14.6 percent. The electricity index edged up 1.3 percent while utility (piped) gas service prices were unchanged since February.

Over the year, the energy index increased 32.9 percent, the largest such increase since June 1980, dominated by a 43.3 percent increase for gasoline which moderated after its most recent peak of 47.3 percent in November 2021.  Electricity prices were up 12.6 percent while utility (piped) gas service increased 24.2 percent, the largest over-the-year gain since May 2006.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 1.5 percent from February to April driven by higher prices for shelter (1.5 percent) and medical care (2.9 percent) while lower prices for apparel (-3.8 percent) partially offset the overall increase. Within the shelter index, lodging away from home increased 27.1 percent while owners’ equivalent rent of residences and household furnishings and operations increased 0.7 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively. Public transportation prices increased while new and used motor vehicle prices increased 1.9 percent, well below the series peak of 14.3 percent in June 2021 though it was the largest 2-month increase since then.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 6.3 percent reflecting higher prices for shelter (6.1 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (22.0 percent). Within shelter, owners’ equivalent rent of residences advanced 4.9 percent among broad increases in the overall category. The new and used motor vehicles price change was the smallest of the past year.

Table A. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20182019202020212022
2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month2-month12-month

February

0.40.50.81.51.02.60.81.01.57.3

April

0.91.41.31.9-1.3-0.11.23.52.28.4

June

0.21.90.52.10.60.11.94.9

August

0.31.70.52.30.80.40.64.6

October

0.01.6-0.41.90.00.81.05.6

December

-0.71.0-0.32.40.01.10.96.6

The Consumer Price Index for June 2022 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. (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 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 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; 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, Core Based Statistical Area includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, 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 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, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
Historical
data
Feb.
2022
Mar.
2022
Apr.
2022
Apr.
2021
Feb.
2022
Mar.
2022

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0
281.402 287.6028.42.2 

All items (1967 = 100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BAA0
812.955 830.866   

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF
264.576 271.2629.22.5 

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF1
266.116 272.8919.52.5 

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF11
268.158274.166277.62312.63.51.3

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF111
353.360 361.72813.72.4 

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF112
312.873 317.88214.81.6 

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEFJ
209.373 218.1418.24.2 

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF113
285.192 301.2977.25.6 

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF114
185.384 187.55914.71.2 

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF115
241.761 254.63315.15.3 

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEFV
256.079 258.7285.01.0 

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAF116
239.125 244.6485.62.3 

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH
289.928 295.7687.92.0 

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH1
355.991358.779361.4916.11.50.8

Rent of primary residence

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHA
333.117334.811336.4974.81.00.5

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHC
367.255368.373369.9044.90.70.4

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHC01
367.255368.373369.9044.90.70.4

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH2
242.304 253.46920.74.6 

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH21
199.814207.394210.33324.75.31.4

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHF
205.813205.529207.50215.90.81.0

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHF01
200.064201.322202.60112.61.30.6

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEHF02
205.003201.780204.97024.20.01.6

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAH3
132.281 135.8588.42.7 

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAA
112.696 108.442-1.9-3.8 

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAT
251.620 266.43820.95.9 

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAT1
260.762 272.88922.24.7 

New and used motor vehicles(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETA
129.738 132.21922.01.9 

New vehicles(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETA01
223.415 225.12718.80.8 

Used cars and trucks(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETA02
396.116 384.97723.6-2.8 

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETB
333.089386.765382.02143.314.7-1.2

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETB01
328.941381.842377.13043.314.6-1.2

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSS47014
326.075378.919373.46343.914.5-1.4

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSS47015
331.496382.107383.25140.415.60.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSS47016
323.494372.975373.22539.215.40.1

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSETE
      

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAM
575.891 592.5222.82.9 

Recreation(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAR
131.675 131.2314.6-0.3 

Education and communication(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAE
135.443 134.7050.9-0.5 

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSEEB
1,080.349 1,080.3492.50.0 

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAG
616.917 619.5434.90.4 

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAC
210.755 216.77513.42.9 

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSACL11
179.227 184.68116.13.0 

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSANL11
218.035 231.57517.86.2 

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAD
132.317 131.86214.4-0.3 

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAS
352.666 359.1655.61.8 

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0L2
257.050 263.6279.62.6 

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0L5
268.946 274.7098.92.1 

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSACL1
181.840 187.31715.73.0 

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSAN
242.690 253.07913.24.3 

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSANL1
219.322 232.26516.85.9 

Services less rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSASL2RS
356.873 364.6265.12.2 

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSASL5
334.984 341.2776.01.9 

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0E
247.985270.533271.09332.99.30.2

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0LE
287.934 292.6806.71.6 

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUURS12BSA0L1E
294.445 298.9106.31.5 

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: Wednesday, May 11, 2022