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News Release Information

17-1532-ATL
Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Consumer Price Index, South Region – October 2017

Prices in the South down 0.2 percent over the month; up 2.0 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South edged down 0.2 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The energy index declined 5.4 percent over the month. The all items less food and energy index rose 0.3 percent and the food index edged up 0.2 percent in October. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The all items CPI-U advanced 2.0 percent since October 2016. The all items less food and energy index increased 1.7 percent over the last 12 months, and the energy index advanced 6.7 percent. The food index rose 1.2 percent over the year. (See chart 1.)

Food

The food index edged up 0.2 percent in October. Prices for food at home increased 0.4 percent over the month, while prices for food away from home declined 0.2 percent.

The food index rose 1.2 percent since October 2016, reflecting price increases for both food away from home (1.9 percent) and for food at home (0.8 percent).

Energy

The energy index declined 5.4 percent in October, reflecting an 8.1 percent drop in motor fuel prices. Prices for electricity and for utility (piped) gas service also declined over-the-month, down 3.4 and 0.1 percent, respectively.

From October 2016—October 2017, energy prices advanced 6.7 percent as price increases were recorded for motor fuel (10.3 percent), electricity (3.0 percent), and utility (piped) gas service (6.8 percent).

All items less food and energy

The all items less food and energy index edged up 0.3 percent in October, led by increases in the shelter and apparel indexes, up 0.3 and 1.3 percent, respectively.

Since October 2016, the all items less food and energy index advanced 1.7 percent—largely contributed to a 3.2-percent increase in the shelter index.

 

Table A. South region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20132014201520162017
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.41.60.31.7-0.7-0.40.01.20.52.6

February

0.91.80.41.20.5-0.30.10.70.22.8

March

0.31.50.61.50.6-0.30.60.70.02.2

April

-0.20.90.52.30.3-0.60.40.90.22.0

May

0.01.30.22.40.4-0.40.40.90.01.7

June

0.41.90.22.30.5-0.10.40.80.21.5

July

0.22.2-0.12.0-0.1-0.1-0.20.7-0.21.6

August

0.11.7-0.21.7-0.2-0.20.11.00.41.9

September

0.01.30.11.7-0.2-0.40.21.40.72.4

October

-0.21.3-0.31.60.0-0.10.11.5-0.22.0

November

-0.31.5-0.61.3-0.20.3-0.11.6  

December

0.11.8-0.60.6-0.40.50.12.0  

The Consumer Price Index for November 2017 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 13, 2017.


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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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 South region is comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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
South (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Aug.
2017
Sep.
2017
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2016
Aug.
2017
Sep.
2017

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

237.892239.649239.0672.00.5-0.2

All items (December 1977=100)

385.894388.744387.800---

Food and beverages

248.255248.735249.1121.20.30.2

Food

249.549249.981250.3571.20.30.2

Food at home

237.375237.646238.5880.80.50.4

Food away from home

270.563271.240270.7791.90.1-0.2

Alcoholic beverages

229.753230.979231.3651.40.70.2

Housing

233.398233.926233.8712.80.20.0

Shelter

266.850267.797268.6323.20.70.3

Rent of primary residence(1)

277.156278.236279.3603.90.80.4

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)

268.791269.658270.5873.10.70.3

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)

268.782269.649270.5783.10.70.3

Fuels and utilities

242.139241.219236.0823.3-2.5-2.1

Household energy

198.075197.042191.4133.6-3.4-2.9

Energy services(1)

198.670197.501191.6123.4-3.6-3.0

Electricity(1)

196.849195.888189.2323.0-3.9-3.4

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

194.451191.980191.7476.8-1.4-0.1

Household furnishings and operations

120.043120.091120.359-1.10.30.2

Apparel

130.746135.036136.724-1.94.61.3

Transportation

202.213208.467204.6793.91.2-1.8

Private transportation

200.731207.300203.1644.11.2-2.0

New and used motor vehicles(3)

101.833100.727100.355-1.5-1.5-0.4

New vehicles

152.523151.566151.465-0.7-0.7-0.1

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

103.866103.190103.117-0.7-0.7-0.1

New cars(4)

151.553150.330150.012-1.5-1.0-0.2

Used cars and trucks

140.423138.293137.058-2.4-2.4-0.9

Motor fuel

199.441230.813212.17210.36.4-8.1

Gasoline (all types)

198.505229.894211.07410.26.3-8.2

Unleaded regular(4)

193.308225.035205.86910.26.5-8.5

Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

221.364250.266233.55410.35.5-6.7

Unleaded premium(4)

220.951247.185232.59510.35.3-5.9

Medical care

457.722457.560457.3822.0-0.10.0

Medical care commodities

368.369367.631366.203-0.2-0.6-0.4

Medical care services

487.730487.802488.1302.70.10.1

Professional services

361.381361.286360.876-1.5-0.1-0.1

Recreation(3)

117.923117.769117.3860.9-0.5-0.3

Education and communication(3)

132.004132.253132.618-2.70.50.3

Other goods and services

419.118420.135422.2741.30.80.5
 

Commodity and service group

 
 

All Items

237.892239.649239.0672.00.5-0.2

Commodities

180.686183.782182.3890.80.9-0.8

Commodities less food and beverages

148.786152.844150.7810.51.3-1.3

Nondurables less food and beverages

192.701203.144198.6632.33.1-2.2

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

231.036245.065237.1403.62.6-3.2

Durables

107.786106.955106.776-1.8-0.9-0.2

Services

295.371295.851296.0472.80.20.1

Rent of shelter(2)

273.905274.892275.7603.20.70.3

Transportation services

345.980345.528348.6845.90.80.9

Other services

337.227337.726337.680-0.20.10.0
 

Special aggregate indexes

 
 

All items less medical care

225.910227.743227.1472.00.5-0.3

All items less food

235.863237.822237.0932.10.5-0.3

All items less shelter

227.608229.712228.5401.40.4-0.5

Commodities less food

151.271155.275153.2640.51.3-1.3

Nondurables

219.034224.709222.5521.71.6-1.0

Nondurables less food

194.576204.524200.3042.22.9-2.1

Nondurables less food and apparel

229.822242.755235.5353.42.5-3.0

Services less rent of shelter(2)

331.593331.443330.7882.3-0.2-0.2

Services less medical care services

278.051278.552278.7352.80.20.1

Energy

194.532207.849196.5856.71.1-5.4

All items less energy

243.533244.023244.6161.60.40.2

All items less food and energy

242.892243.392244.0241.70.50.3

Commodities less food and energy commodities

145.916146.162146.407-1.30.30.2

Energy commodities

202.893234.228215.84710.36.4-7.8

Services less energy services

305.492306.160307.0482.70.50.3

Footnotes
(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Index is 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.
 

- Data not available.
Regions defined as the four Census regions. South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, November 15, 2017