The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South increased 0.2 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Since January, the all items less food and energy index rose 0.4 percent and the food index edged up 0.2 percent. In contrast, the energy index declined 2.9 percent over the month. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The all items CPI-U for the South increased 1.9 percent since February 2019. The all items less food and energy index rose 1.9 percent over the past year. The food and the energy indexes also increased over the year, up 1.4 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

Food

The food index rose 0.2 percent in February, reflecting over-the-month increases in the food at home and the food away from home indexes, up 0.2 percent each.

The food index rose 1.4 percent for the 12 months ending February, led by a 2.3-percent increase in the food away from home index. The food at home index rose 0.6 percent over the last 12 months.  

Energy

The energy index fell 2.9 percent in February, led by a 5.5-percent drop in the gasoline index. The utility (piped) gas service index also declined in February, down 2.5 percent, while the electricity index was unchanged.    

The energy index rose 1.8 percent over the past 12 months, reflecting a 4.1-percent increase in the gasoline index. Since February 2019, the electricity and the utility (piped) gas service indexes declined, down 0.4 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in February. Several indexes increased over the month, most notably apparel (3.5 percent), shelter (0.3 percent), and new and used motor vehicles (0.4 percent).  

Since February 2019, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 1.9 percent, reflecting increases in the shelter (3.0 percent) and the medical care services (4.1 percent) indexes.

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the three divisions of the South. Over the month, the all items CPI-U increased in the South Atlantic and West South Central divisions, up 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively. The all items index in the East South Central division was unchanged in February.  

Over the year, the all items index advanced 2.2 percent in the South Atlantic division. The all items index rose 1.6 percent in the West South Central division and 1.0 percent in the East South Central division.

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

Month	2017		2018		2019		2020
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.5	2.6	0.5	1.8	0.2	1.2	0.3	2.3
February	0.2	2.8	0.6	2.1	0.5	1.1	0.2	1.9
March	0.0	2.2	0.2	2.3	0.7	1.6
April	0.2	2.0	0.4	2.4	0.5	1.8
May	0.0	1.7	0.3	2.7	-0.1	1.4
June	0.2	1.5	0.2	2.7	-0.1	1.1
July	-0.2	1.6	0.0	2.9	0.3	1.4
August	0.4	1.9	-0.1	2.4	-0.1	1.4
September	0.7	2.4	0.0	1.7	0.0	1.3
October	-0.2	2.0	0.2	2.1	0.2	1.3
November	-0.1	2.1	-0.3	1.9	0.0	1.6
December	-0.1	1.8	-0.5	1.5	0.0	2.1

The Consumer Price Index for March 2020 is scheduled to be released on Friday, April 10, 2020.

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-
	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020	Feb. 2020	Feb. 2019	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020
Expenditure category
All Items	247.289	248.005	248.412	1.9	0.5	0.2
All items (December 1977=100)	401.138	402.298	402.958	-	-	-
Food and beverages	256.354	257.296	257.795	1.4	0.6	0.2
Food	257.576	258.570	259.024	1.4	0.6	0.2
Food at home	239.527	240.809	241.229	0.6	0.7	0.2
Cereal and bakery products	280.214	280.071	281.414	0.4	0.4	0.5
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	248.173	247.533	247.291	1.9	-0.4	-0.1
Dairy and related products	222.108	222.527	223.818	1.9	0.8	0.6
Fruits and vegetables	281.310	286.252	283.229	-2.9	0.7	-1.1
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials	167.472	170.384	170.485	0.3	1.8	0.1
Other food at home	210.370	210.989	213.100	1.5	1.3	1.0
Food away from home	287.006	287.598	288.107	2.3	0.4	0.2
Alcoholic beverages	238.943	239.176	240.292	1.6	0.6	0.5
Housing	246.438	247.349	247.815	2.6	0.6	0.2
Shelter	285.654	286.674	287.476	3.0	0.6	0.3
Rent of primary residence	299.871	300.887	301.558	3.6	0.6	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)	288.027	288.886	289.347	3.1	0.5	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)	288.040	288.902	289.360	3.1	0.5	0.2
Fuels and utilities	237.938	238.495	237.961	0.2	0.0	-0.2
Household energy	190.134	190.264	189.566	-0.6	-0.3	-0.4
Energy services	190.225	190.381	189.692	-0.6	-0.3	-0.4
Electricity	188.048	188.198	188.118	-0.4	0.0	0.0
Utility (piped) gas service	188.995	189.182	184.500	-2.1	-2.4	-2.5
Household furnishings and operations	125.034	125.774	125.751	1.7	0.6	0.0
Apparel	129.315	128.299	132.851	-2.3	2.7	3.5
Transportation	207.452	207.755	206.599	1.4	-0.4	-0.6
Private transportation	206.548	207.100	205.275	1.3	-0.6	-0.9
New and used motor vehicles(2)	100.868	101.036	101.455	-0.5	0.6	0.4
New vehicles	152.124	153.955	154.110	0.2	1.3	0.1
New cars and trucks(2)(3)	103.564	104.814	104.926	0.2	1.3	0.1
New cars(3)	151.604	153.055	153.511	0.0	1.3	0.3
Used cars and trucks	138.559	137.395	138.769	-1.5	0.2	1.0
Motor fuel	210.672	211.955	200.417	4.0	-4.9	-5.4
Gasoline (all types)	209.311	210.572	199.037	4.1	-4.9	-5.5
Unleaded regular(3)	203.729	204.955	193.413	4.1	-5.1	-5.6
Unleaded midgrade(3)(4)	234.729	236.246	224.535	4.0	-4.3	-5.0
Unleaded premium(3)	233.899	235.303	225.289	4.2	-3.7	-4.3
Motor vehicle insurance(5)	961.078	962.096	965.423	0.8	0.5	0.3
Medical care	479.724	481.849	482.705	3.0	0.6	0.2
Medical care commodities	352.266	353.095	353.282	-1.4	0.3	0.1
Medical care services	522.899	525.462	526.543	4.1	0.7	0.2
Professional services	366.873	367.264	367.522	0.0	0.2	0.1
Recreation(2)	121.445	121.506	122.065	0.8	0.5	0.5
Education and communication(2)	133.445	133.885	133.869	1.2	0.3	0.0
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)	1,355.934	1,358.483	1,358.635	2.6	0.2	0.0
Other goods and services	433.843	436.000	437.594	1.7	0.9	0.4
Commodity and service group
All Items	247.289	248.005	248.412	1.9	0.5	0.2
Commodities	183.096	183.681	183.639	0.7	0.3	0.0
Commodities less food and beverages	149.092	149.525	149.291	0.3	0.1	-0.2
Nondurables less food and beverages	194.993	195.344	194.299	1.1	-0.4	-0.5
Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel	235.394	236.495	232.392	2.2	-1.3	-1.7
Durables	106.677	107.109	107.364	-0.7	0.6	0.2
Services	312.040	312.883	313.766	2.6	0.6	0.3
Rent of shelter(1)	293.445	294.537	295.355	3.1	0.7	0.3
Transportation services	362.239	360.144	364.876	1.7	0.7	1.3
Other services	349.533	350.520	350.852	1.5	0.4	0.1
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care	234.633	235.275	235.658	1.8	0.4	0.2
All items less food	245.451	246.123	246.523	1.9	0.4	0.2
All items less shelter	233.397	233.998	234.255	1.3	0.4	0.1
Commodities less food	151.776	152.205	152.003	0.3	0.1	-0.1
Nondurables	223.988	224.621	224.314	1.3	0.1	-0.1
Nondurables less food	197.223	197.567	196.652	1.2	-0.3	-0.5
Nondurables less food and apparel	234.527	235.545	231.932	2.1	-1.1	-1.5
Services less rent of shelter(1)	345.237	345.797	346.791	2.1	0.5	0.3
Services less medical care services	293.114	293.816	294.677	2.4	0.5	0.3
Energy	195.400	196.064	190.334	1.8	-2.6	-2.9
All items less energy	253.918	254.643	255.665	1.8	0.7	0.4
All items less food and energy	253.692	254.372	255.494	1.9	0.7	0.4
Commodities less food and energy commodities	144.884	145.218	146.333	-0.5	1.0	0.8
Energy commodities	214.464	215.720	204.179	3.8	-4.8	-5.3
Services less energy services	324.937	325.851	326.898	2.8	0.6	0.3
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.
- 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.