The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast region increased 0.2 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the all items less food and energy index rose 0.1 percent over the month while food prices advanced 0.6 percent and energy prices remained unchanged since November. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The Northeast all items CPI-U advanced 3.3 percent for the 12 months ending in December. The index for all items less food and energy rose 3.1 percent over the year, and food prices advanced 3.4 percent. Energy prices increased 5.6 percent.

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, Northeast region, December 2022–December 2025

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Dec 2022	6.1	4.8
Jan 2023	6.0	4.9
Feb 2023	5.9	5.1
Mar 2023	4.3	4.5
Apr 2023	3.8	4.2
May 2023	3.1	4.3
Jun 2023	2.2	3.8
Jul 2023	2.6	4.0
Aug 2023	2.8	3.7
Sep 2023	3.0	3.5
Oct 2023	2.7	3.4
Nov 2023	2.5	3.5
Dec 2023	2.6	3.5
Jan 2024	2.5	3.5
Feb 2024	2.4	3.2
Mar 2024	3.4	4.0
Apr 2024	3.6	4.1
May 2024	3.9	4.3
Jun 2024	3.8	4.3
Jul 2024	3.6	3.9
Aug 2024	3.4	4.0
Sep 2024	3.4	4.2
Oct 2024	3.5	4.4
Nov 2024	3.5	4.3
Dec 2024	3.5	3.9
Jan 2025	3.7	4.1
Feb 2025	3.9	4.2
Mar 2025	3.2	3.4
Apr 2025	3.1	3.5
May 2025	2.8	3.1
Jun 2025	3.0	3.2
Jul 2025	3.2	3.4
Aug 2025	3.3	3.4
Sep 2025	3.1	3.0
Oct 2025	-	-
Nov 2025	3.1	2.8
Dec 2025	3.3	3.1
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

Food prices increased 0.6 percent in December. The index for food at home increased 0.2 percent, with higher prices in 3 of the 6 major food sub-indexes. The index for food away from home rose 1.2 percent in the same period.

Food prices advanced 3.4 percent over the year. The index for food away from home increased 4.2 percent and the index for food at home increased 2.9 percent with prices rising for all 6 major food sub-indexes. Within the food at home index meats, poultry, fish, and eggs prices were up 4.2 percent.

The energy index remained unchanged over the month due to lower prices for gasoline. The gasoline index was down 2.2 percent offsetting higher prices in the household energy sub index. Prices for natural gas service rose 4.4 percent and electricity increased 0.1 percent over the same period.

The energy index increased 5.6 percent from December 2024 to December 2025. The indexes for natural gas service and electricity rose 12.5 and 10.0 percent respectively, while gasoline prices fell 1.2 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.1 percent in December. The index for shelter was up 0.6 percent, as owners’ equivalent rent of residences also increased 0.6 percent. Other index components that increased within the all items less food and energy index were household furnishings and operations and recreation, up 0.9 percent and 1.2 percent respectively. In contrast prices for education and communication (-1.0 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (-0.7 percent) decreased in the same period.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 3.1 percent over the year. Annual increases in the indexes for shelter (3.9 percent) and household furnishings and operations (5.3 percent) were major contributing factors. Within the shelter category, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index rose 3.9 percent. The medical care index increased 2.6 percent, and other goods and services rose 5.6 percent in the same period.

The Consumer Price Index for January 2026 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

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 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast region is published monthly. The set of components and sub-aggregates published for regional and metropolitan indexes is more limited than at the U.S. city average level; these indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program.

Percent changes for all-items data previously found in Table A of this release can be accessed in Chart 1 for this release and its attendant data table. A full all-items data series history for the original index value and for 1-month, 2-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month percent changes can be accessed via BLS data query tools. A direct link to the all-items series is provided in Table 1 of this release under historical data.

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

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

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. Northeast region CPI-U by expenditure category for December 2025, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Oct. 2025	Nov. 2025	Dec. 2025	Dec. 2024	Oct. 2025	Nov. 2025
All items		(1)-	337.284	337.880	3.3	-	0.2
All items (December 1977 = 100)		(1)-	531.120	532.058	-	-	-
Food and beverages		(1)-	341.545	343.296	3.3	-	0.5
Food		(1)-	344.459	346.388	3.4	-	0.6
Food at home		(1)-	319.140	319.676	2.9	-	0.2
Cereals and bakery products		(1)-	397.433	393.911	2.2	-	-0.9
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		(1)-	332.574	333.729	4.2	-	0.3
Dairy and related products		(1)-	278.029	283.654	1.4	-	2.0
Fruits and vegetables		(1)-	362.790	358.372	1.0	-	-1.2
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		(1)-	242.688	242.381	6.9	-	-0.1
Other food at home		(1)-	283.277	286.081	2.4	-	1.0
Food away from home		(1)-	389.772	394.291	4.2	-	1.2
Alcoholic beverages		(1)-	301.443	300.737	1.3	-	-0.2
Housing		(1)-	373.932	376.454	4.5	-	0.7
Shelter		(1)-	372.064	372.496	3.8	-	0.1
Rent of primary residence		(1)-	466.266	468.186	4.2	-	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)		(1)-	478.648	481.287	3.9	-	0.6
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)		(1)-	478.155	480.787	3.9	-	0.6
Fuels and utilities		(1)-	335.518	339.425	9.2	-	1.2
Household energy		(1)-	301.298	305.078	9.8	-	1.3
Energy services		(1)-	303.398	307.749	10.8	-	1.4
Electricity		(1)-	311.524	311.925	10.0	-	0.1
Utility (piped) gas service		(1)-	266.374	278.065	12.5	-	4.4
Household furnishings and operations		(1)-	152.034	153.423	5.3	-	0.9
Apparel		(1)-	131.438	129.514	0.8	-	-1.5
Transportation		(1)-	268.945	265.707	1.2	-	-1.2
Private transportation		(1)-	270.515	266.530	1.9	-	-1.5
New and used motor vehicles(3)		(1)-	126.801	125.853	0.7	-	-0.7
New vehicles		175.780	175.710	175.143	0.4	-0.4	-0.3
New cars(4)		165.693	165.889	165.371	0.8	-0.2	-0.3
Used cars and trucks		199.337	199.415	196.263	1.7	-1.5	-1.6
Motor fuel		(1)-	267.678	261.726	-1.1	-	-2.2
Gasoline (all types)		267.527	266.959	260.957	-1.2	-2.5	-2.2
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		261.026	260.389	254.185	-1.4	-2.6	-2.4
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		300.935	300.038	294.564	-0.5	-2.1	-1.8
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		300.381	300.274	295.573	-0.1	-1.6	-1.6
Medical care		(1)-	587.944	588.217	2.6	-	0.0
Medical care commodities		(1)-	428.702	427.530	3.4	-	-0.3
Medical care services		(1)-	634.573	635.311	2.4	-	0.1
Professional services		(1)-	436.645	437.675	2.0	-	0.2
Recreation(3)		(1)-	143.965	145.690	2.5	-	1.2
Education and communication(3)		(1)-	160.811	159.273	0.9	-	-1.0
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(6)		(1)-	1,531.041	1,529.402	3.9	-	-0.1
Other goods and services		(1)-	638.977	643.021	5.6	-	0.6
Footnotes (1) Data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations (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. (6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
- Data not available. Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Note: October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

Table 2. Northeast region CPI-U by special aggregate index for December 2025, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Oct. 2025	Nov. 2025	Dec. 2025	Dec. 2024	Oct. 2025	Nov. 2025
All items		(1)-	337.284	337.880	3.3	-	0.2
Food		(1)-	344.459	346.388	3.4	-	0.6
Energy		(1)-	288.214	288.129	5.6	-	0.0
All items less food and energy		(1)-	348.445	348.887	3.1	-	0.1
All items less energy		(1)-	345.983	346.640	3.1	-	0.2
All items less medical care		(1)-	326.308	326.919	3.3	-	0.2
All items less shelter		(1)-	294.571	294.405	2.9	-	-0.1
Commodities		(1)-	231.399	231.598	2.3	-	0.1
Commodities less food		(1)-	180.063	179.651	1.5	-	-0.2
Commodities less food & beverages		(1)-	175.552	175.151	1.6	-	-0.2
Durables		(1)-	121.415	121.376	1.4	-	0.0
Nondurables		(1)-	281.946	282.327	2.7	-	0.1
Nondurables less food & beverages		(1)-	223.936	222.962	1.7	-	-0.4
Nondurables less food		(1)-	228.516	227.559	1.7	-	-0.4
Services		(1)-	438.949	439.931	3.8	-	0.2
Services less rent of shelter(2)		(1)-	430.732	429.891	3.7	-	-0.2
Services less medical care services		(1)-	425.498	426.498	3.9	-	0.2
Footnotes (1) Data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations (2) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Note: October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.