The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South edged up 0.3 percent in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The energy index advanced 3.1 percent over the pricing period. The index for all items less food and energy inched up 0.1 percent in May, while the food index was unchanged. (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 was up 2.7 percent for the 12 months ending May. The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.2 percent over the past year, while the energy index advanced 10.9 percent and the food index rose 0.9 percent. (See chart 1.)

Food

The food index was unchanged in May. The food away from home index edged up 0.2 percent over the month, while the food at home index inched down 0.1 percent.

The food index rose 0.9 percent since May 2017, primarily due to an increase in the food away from home index (2.0 percent). The food at home index was unchanged over the year.

Energy

The energy index advanced 3.1 percent in May, led by a 5.3-percent increase in the motor fuel index. The indexes for electricity and utility (piped) gas service were also up over the pricing period, increasing 0.4 and 0.1 percent, respectively.

From May 2017—May 2018, the energy index advanced 10.9 percent, fueled by a 21.3-percent increase in the motor fuel index. Over the year, the electricity index rose 0.5 percent, while the index for utility (piped) gas service declined 3.2 percent.

All items less food and energy

In May 2018, the all items less food and energy index inched up 0.1 percent. The shelter index edged up 0.3 percent over the month.

Since May 2017, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.2 percent. The shelter index contributed to the increase, up 3.4 percent over the year.

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

Month	2014		2015		2016		2017		2018
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.3	1.7	-0.7	-0.4	0.0	1.2	0.5	2.6	0.5	1.8
February	0.4	1.2	0.5	-0.3	0.1	0.7	0.2	2.8	0.6	2.1
March	0.6	1.5	0.6	-0.3	0.6	0.7	0.0	2.2	0.2	2.3
April	0.5	2.3	0.3	-0.6	0.4	0.9	0.2	2.0	0.4	2.4
May	0.2	2.4	0.4	-0.4	0.4	0.9	0.0	1.7	0.3	2.7
June	0.2	2.3	0.5	-0.1	0.4	0.8	0.2	1.5
July	-0.1	2.0	-0.1	-0.1	-0.2	0.7	-0.2	1.6
August	-0.2	1.7	-0.2	-0.2	0.1	1.0	0.4	1.9
September	0.1	1.7	-0.2	-0.4	0.2	1.4	0.7	2.4
October	-0.3	1.6	0.0	-0.1	0.1	1.5	-0.2	2.0
November	-0.6	1.3	-0.2	0.3	-0.1	1.6	-0.1	2.1
December	-0.6	0.6	-0.4	0.5	0.1	2.0	-0.1	1.8

The Consumer Price Index for June 2018 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, July 12, 2018.

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 population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 29 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 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 (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-
	Mar. 2018	Apr. 2018	May 2018	May 2017	Mar. 2018	Apr. 2018
Expenditure category
All Items	241.595	242.486	243.279	2.7	0.7	0.3
All items (December 1977=100)	391.900	393.346	394.632	-	-	-
Food and beverages	249.324	249.847	249.818	0.9	0.2	0.0
Food	250.519	251.061	251.137	0.9	0.2	0.0
Food at home	236.789	237.670	237.315	0.0	0.2	-0.1
Cereal and bakery products	275.995	275.534	276.967	-	0.4	0.5
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	243.739	245.420	244.319	-	0.2	-0.4
Dairy and related products	218.319	219.597	217.733	-	-0.3	-0.8
Fruits and vegetables	278.388	283.841	283.071	-	1.7	-0.3
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials	166.521	164.696	165.041	-	-0.9	0.2
Other food at home	209.307	209.267	209.161	-	-0.1	-0.1
Food away from home	273.787	273.864	274.544	2.0	0.3	0.2
Alcoholic beverages	232.296	232.539	230.980	0.9	-0.6	-0.7
Housing	236.083	236.578	237.125	2.8	0.4	0.2
Shelter	271.742	272.593	273.314	3.4	0.6	0.3
Rent of primary residence(1)	282.695	283.436	284.241	3.7	0.5	0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)	273.398	273.932	274.489	3.3	0.4	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)	273.392	273.930	274.487	3.3	0.4	0.2
Fuels and utilities	235.111	233.867	234.703	1.0	-0.2	0.4
Household energy	189.594	187.920	188.647	0.2	-0.5	0.4
Energy services(1)	189.503	187.826	188.588	0.0	-0.5	0.4
Electricity(1)	186.537	185.473	186.306	0.5	-0.1	0.4
Utility (piped) gas service(1)	193.767	187.999	188.205	-3.2	-2.9	0.1
Household furnishings and operations	121.505	121.904	121.732	0.6	0.2	-0.1
Apparel	140.171	140.976	140.367	3.7	0.1	-0.4
Transportation	208.913	211.814	214.664	6.0	2.8	1.3
Private transportation	207.547	210.348	213.323	6.5	2.8	1.4
New and used motor vehicles(3)	102.107	101.593	101.455	-1.2	-0.6	-0.1
New vehicles	153.371	152.427	152.468	-1.4	-0.6	0.0
New cars and trucks(3)(4)	104.409	103.772	103.804	-1.4	-0.6	0.0
New cars(4)	152.811	152.118	151.953	-1.3	-0.6	-0.1
Used cars and trucks	140.919	140.400	139.882	-1.2	-0.7	-0.4
Motor fuel	216.548	230.326	242.557	21.3	12.0	5.3
Gasoline (all types)	215.297	229.172	241.430	21.3	12.1	5.3
Unleaded regular(4)	209.963	223.938	236.131	21.8	12.5	5.4
Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)	238.916	251.781	263.865	19.3	10.4	4.8
Unleaded premium(4)	237.098	248.606	260.125	18.1	9.7	4.6
Motor vehicle insurance(6)	941.693	939.811	941.433	-	0.0	0.2
Medical care	465.888	465.488	465.132	2.1	-0.2	-0.1
Medical care commodities	370.807	368.457	368.873	2.6	-0.5	0.1
Medical care services	497.762	498.045	497.420	1.9	-0.1	-0.1
Professional services	366.287	366.838	365.871	0.8	-0.1	-0.3
Recreation(3)	118.209	117.716	117.420	-0.4	-0.7	-0.3
Education and communication(3)	132.027	131.891	132.270	0.5	0.2	0.3
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)	1,295.109	1,295.353	1,296.707	-	0.1	0.1
Other goods and services	424.111	426.734	427.174	1.9	0.7	0.1
Commodity and service group
All Items	241.595	242.486	243.279	2.7	0.7	0.3
Commodities	183.844	185.243	186.230	2.6	1.3	0.5
Commodities less food and beverages	152.491	154.126	155.417	3.5	1.9	0.8
Nondurables less food and beverages	201.351	205.715	209.294	7.8	3.9	1.7
Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel	239.640	245.988	251.849	9.1	5.1	2.4
Durables	107.910	107.686	107.426	-1.4	-0.4	-0.2
Services	299.569	299.906	300.481	2.8	0.3	0.2
Rent of shelter(2)	279.027	279.908	280.587	3.4	0.6	0.2
Transportation services	357.797	358.752	359.265	4.9	0.4	0.1
Other services	339.283	338.671	339.160	1.0	0.0	0.1
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care	229.368	230.319	231.165	2.8	0.8	0.4
All items less food	239.966	240.908	241.806	3.0	0.8	0.4
All items less shelter	230.799	231.707	232.530	2.4	0.8	0.4
Commodities less food	154.971	156.584	157.819	3.4	1.8	0.8
Nondurables	224.210	226.824	228.756	4.2	2.0	0.9
Nondurables less food	202.908	207.058	210.371	7.4	3.7	1.6
Nondurables less food and apparel	237.909	243.753	249.011	8.5	4.7	2.2
Services less rent of shelter(2)	334.698	334.388	334.857	2.1	0.0	0.1
Services less medical care services	281.726	282.064	282.726	2.9	0.4	0.2
Energy	197.996	203.877	210.180	10.9	6.2	3.1
All items less energy	247.268	247.597	247.769	2.0	0.2	0.1
All items less food and energy	247.101	247.394	247.583	2.2	0.2	0.1
Commodities less food and energy commodities	147.722	147.662	147.381	0.0	-0.2	-0.2
Energy commodities	220.499	234.222	246.418	21.2	11.8	5.2
Services less energy services	311.193	311.751	312.305	3.0	0.4	0.2
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) 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. 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.