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News Release Information

23-1327-ATL
Tuesday, June 13, 2023

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

Consumer Price Index, South Region — May 2023

Prices in the South up 0.2 percent over the month and 4.4 percent over the past year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South rose 0.2 percent in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent over the month. The food index was little changed over the month (+0.1 percent), while the energy index declined 2.3 percent. (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 advanced 4.4 percent for the 12 months ending in May, after increasing 5.5 percent for the 12-month period ending in April. The index for all items less food and energy rose 6.0 percent over the past year. The food index also increased over the last 12 months, up 7.1 percent. In contrast, the energy index fell 12.6 percent over the past year. (See chart 1 and table 1.)


Food

The food index was little changed in May, up 0.1 percent. The food away from home index rose 0.4 percent over the month, while the food at home index was unchanged.

The food index advanced 7.1 percent for the 12 months ending in May, led by a 6.5-percent increase in the food at home index as all six major grocery store food group indexes increased over year. The food away from home index also continued to increase over the past year, up 8.3 percent.  

Energy

The energy index declined 2.3 percent in May, led by a 3.6-percent decline in the gasoline index. The electricity and natural gas indexes also fell over the month, down 0.6 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.

The energy index fell 12.6 percent for the 12 months ending in May, largely due to a 22.3-percent decrease in the gasoline index. Over the past year, the natural gas index declined 6.8 percent, while the electricity index increased 5.4 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in May, primarily reflecting a 0.7-percent increase in the shelter index. Within shelter, owners’ equivalent rent rose 0.8 percent over the month and rent of primary residence rose 0.6 percent. The index for used cars and trucks was also among the notable components to increase in May, up 3.3 percent. Several indexes declined in May, led by household furnishing and operations (-1.2 percent). The apparel index declined 1.1 percent and the index for medical care services edged down 0.3 percent in May.

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 6.0 percent for the 12 months ending in May, after increasing 6.3 percent for the 12-month period ending in April. Several components contributed to the 12-month increase, most notably, shelter (+10.0 percent). Within shelter, owner’s equivalent rent increased 10.1 percent over the past year and rent of primary residence rose 11.2 percent.

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the three divisions of the South. In May, the all items index rose 0.4 percent in the East South Central division and 0.2 percent in the South Atlantic division. The all items index was unchanged in the West South Central division in May.

Over the year, the all items index advanced 5.0 percent in the South Atlantic division, 4.5 percent in the East South Central division, and 3.3 percent in the West South Central division.

Table A. South region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20192020202120222023
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.21.20.32.30.51.60.97.80.86.9

February

0.51.10.21.90.52.01.18.40.66.4

March

0.71.6-0.11.10.82.91.49.10.45.3

April

0.51.8-0.8-0.20.74.40.58.80.75.5

May

-0.11.4-0.2-0.40.85.61.29.20.24.4

June

-0.11.10.60.30.95.81.59.8

July

0.31.40.60.60.55.80.19.4

August

-0.11.40.41.10.35.6-0.28.9

September

0.01.30.21.30.35.80.28.7

October

0.21.30.11.31.06.60.48.1

November

0.01.6-0.11.20.47.20.17.7

December

0.02.10.21.40.37.4-0.37.0

The Consumer Price Index for June 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for the South region is published 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, 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 6,000 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 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 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
South (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

IndexesPercent change from-
Mar.
2023
Apr.
2023
May
2023
May
2022
Mar.
2023
Apr.
2023

Expenditure category

All Items

293.358295.315295.8894.40.90.2

All items (December 1977=100)

475.868479.042479.973---

Food and beverages

313.239314.609314.9757.00.60.1

Food

316.842318.372318.7147.10.60.1

Food at home

299.503300.837300.7366.50.40.0

Cereal and bakery products

361.946362.107363.12911.20.30.3

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

310.830313.906310.4321.7-0.1-1.1

Dairy and related products

273.558271.962270.7494.8-1.0-0.4

Fruits and vegetables

326.672325.434328.3681.70.50.9

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

214.703214.712216.00211.30.60.6

Other food at home

268.229271.582271.4839.91.20.0

Food away from home

345.117347.009348.2348.30.90.4

Alcoholic beverages

263.152262.157262.8864.5-0.10.3

Housing

295.573297.075298.1468.50.90.4

Shelter

341.971344.203346.78110.01.40.7

Rent of primary residence

364.547367.578369.69111.21.40.6

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)

342.975345.245347.95710.11.50.8

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)

342.969345.245347.94910.11.50.8

Fuels and utilities

288.244287.116285.0283.5-1.1-0.7

Household energy

235.721234.178231.9013.1-1.6-1.0

Energy services

235.229233.764231.7583.6-1.5-0.9

Electricity

229.826229.237227.7825.4-0.9-0.6

Utility (piped) gas service

251.697244.561239.069-6.8-5.0-2.2

Household furnishings and operations

149.782150.342148.5304.4-0.8-1.2

Apparel

142.281140.673139.0792.5-2.3-1.1

Transportation

263.496269.483270.069-2.72.50.2

Private transportation

264.889270.944271.542-2.52.50.2

New and used motor vehicles(2)

128.373130.497132.0610.12.91.2

New vehicles

186.348186.907187.3534.60.50.2

New cars and trucks(2)(3)

------

New cars(3)

185.123185.786185.8594.00.40.0

Used cars and trucks

185.448194.117200.458-4.38.13.3

Motor fuel

281.790300.145289.384-22.62.7-3.6

Gasoline (all types)

279.761298.779288.168-22.33.0-3.6

Unleaded regular(3)

273.206292.296281.515-22.83.0-3.7

Unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

312.765331.493322.095-19.93.0-2.8

Unleaded premium(3)

305.332321.912313.652-18.42.7-2.6

Medical care

520.611519.128518.7280.7-0.4-0.1

Medical care commodities

374.010376.924380.2814.71.70.9

Medical care services

569.920566.788564.969-0.3-0.9-0.3

Professional services

393.582393.693392.7071.1-0.2-0.3

Recreation(2)

135.715135.644135.8793.60.10.2

Education and communication(2)

140.731140.536140.4851.4-0.20.0

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)

1,455.9171,456.0611,452.9533.2-0.2-0.2

Other goods and services

506.170509.303510.5705.80.90.2

Commodity and service group

All Items

293.358295.315295.8894.40.90.2

Commodities

220.572223.151222.9060.21.1-0.1

Commodities less food and beverages

178.476181.267180.850-3.41.3-0.2

Nondurables less food and beverages

231.318236.303233.188-6.50.8-1.3

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

285.243293.925289.909-8.41.6-1.4

Durables

129.720131.136131.987-0.11.70.6

Services

366.451367.686369.1427.40.70.4

Rent of shelter(1)

352.190354.466357.14410.11.40.8

Transportation services

445.923448.233452.58012.81.51.0

Other services

386.691386.144386.4423.4-0.10.1

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

280.730282.836283.4524.81.00.2

All items less food

289.559291.571292.1764.00.90.2

All items less shelter

275.551277.409277.1641.90.6-0.1

Commodities less food

181.120183.855183.457-3.11.3-0.2

Nondurables

269.912273.187271.7180.40.7-0.5

Nondurables less food

232.786237.447234.540-5.80.8-1.2

Nondurables less food and apparel

281.851289.703286.092-7.51.5-1.2

Services less rent of shelter(1)

395.598395.417395.2114.3-0.1-0.1

Services less medical care services

347.595349.133350.8118.40.90.5

Energy

251.710259.068253.052-12.60.5-2.3

All items less energy

299.241300.717301.8996.20.90.4

All items less food and energy

296.801298.270299.5836.00.90.4

Commodities less food and energy commodities

169.523170.780171.3951.91.10.4

Energy commodities

287.129305.274294.184-22.52.5-3.6

Services less energy services

380.313381.819383.6237.70.90.5

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.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2023