The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the South region was unchanged in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The index for food rose 0.6 percent over the month. The index for all items less food and energy was little changed in December, up 0.1 percent. In contrast, the energy index fell 1.8 percent in December. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The South all items CPI-U rose 2.2 percent for the 12 months ending December, as it did for the 12 months ending November. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.2 percent over the last 12 months. The food index increased 3.0 percent for the 12 months ending December. The energy index rose 0.7 percent over the last year.

  

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

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Dec 2022	7.0	6.5
Jan 2023	6.9	6.3
Feb 2023	6.4	6.2
Mar 2023	5.3	6.3
Apr 2023	5.5	6.3
May 2023	4.4	6.0
Jun 2023	3.3	5.5
Jul 2023	3.4	5.0
Aug 2023	4.1	4.8
Sep 2023	4.2	4.6
Oct 2023	3.7	4.5
Nov 2023	3.4	4.4
Dec 2023	3.7	4.2
Jan 2024	3.4	4.3
Feb 2024	3.7	4.4
Mar 2024	3.8	4.0
Apr 2024	3.3	3.6
May 2024	3.2	3.3
Jun 2024	2.9	3.1
Jul 2024	2.9	3.1
Aug 2024	2.3	2.9
Sep 2024	2.1	3.0
Oct 2024	2.5	3.1
Nov 2024	2.7	3.1
Dec 2024	2.8	3.1
Jan 2025	2.8	3.1
Feb 2025	2.3	2.6
Mar 2025	1.9	2.4
Apr 2025	2.0	2.5
May 2025	2.0	2.5
Jun 2025	2.3	2.6
Jul 2025	2.3	2.8
Aug 2025	2.6	2.8
Sep 2025	2.7	2.7
Oct 2025	-	-
Nov 2025	2.2	2.1
Dec 2025	2.2	2.2
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

The index for food rose 0.6 percent in December. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) rose 0.7 percent over the month. All six major grocery store food group indexes increased in December, including other food at home (+1.3 percent) and meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+0.8 percent). The index for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) increased 0.6 percent in December.

The food index increased 3.0 percent over the last 12 months. The food away from home index rose 3.9 percent over the past year. The food at home index increased 2.4 percent for the 12 months ending December, as prices increased in four of the six major grocery store food groups.

The energy index fell 1.8 percent in December. The gasoline index declined 4.6 percent over the month. The index for natural gas increased 3.2 percent in December and the electricity index rose 0.4 percent.

The energy index increased 0.7 percent over the past 12 months. The electricity index rose 5.5 percent over this 12-month span and the index for natural gas advanced 10.5 percent. In contrast, the index for gasoline declined 5.2 percent over the last 12 months.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in December. The shelter index increased 0.4 percent over the month. The index for owners’ equivalent rent rose 0.3 percent in December, as did the index for rent. The index for recreation (+1.2 percent) was among the indexes with a notable increase in December. Among the indexes to decline in December include education and communication (-1.2 percent), used cars and trucks (-1.8 percent), and household furnishings and operations (-0.7 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.2 percent over the past 12 months. The shelter index increased 2.8 percent over the last year. The index for owners’ equivalent rent rose 3.0 percent over this 12-month period and the rent index increased 2.1 percent.

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 South 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.

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.

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. South 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		-	313.597	313.675	2.2	-	0.0
All items (December 1977 = 100)		-	508.697	508.824	-	-	-
Food and beverages		-	333.789	335.808	3.0	-	0.6
Food		-	337.856	340.017	3.0	-	0.6
Food at home		-	312.134	314.286	2.4	-	0.7
Cereals and bakery products		-	366.649	368.013	0.7	-	0.4
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		-	343.615	346.275	5.1	-	0.8
Dairy and related products		-	270.847	271.234	-0.5	-	0.1
Fruits and vegetables		-	331.732	332.261	-0.7	-	0.2
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		-	228.883	230.206	5.7	-	0.6
Other food at home		-	276.556	280.123	2.6	-	1.3
Food away from home		-	381.488	383.662	3.9	-	0.6
Alcoholic beverages		-	277.257	277.282	3.0	-	0.0
Housing		-	326.902	327.911	3.3	-	0.3
Shelter		-	382.299	383.736	2.8	-	0.4
Rent of primary residence		-	405.003	406.324	2.1	-	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		-	387.136	388.201	3.0	-	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		-	387.048	388.098	3.0	-	0.3
Fuels and utilities		-	318.530	321.009	5.7	-	0.8
Household energy		-	258.491	260.673	6.1	-	0.8
Energy services		-	258.914	261.123	6.2	-	0.9
Electricity		-	252.433	253.546	5.5	-	0.4
Utility (piped) gas service		-	280.549	289.550	10.5	-	3.2
Household furnishings and operations		-	153.450	152.345	4.3	-	-0.7
Apparel		-	138.612	137.324	-0.1	-	-0.9
Transportation		-	270.391	267.121	-0.3	-	-1.2
Private transportation		-	272.817	268.768	-0.2	-	-1.5
New and used motor vehicles(2)		-	126.926	125.729	0.3	-	-0.9
New vehicles		185.797	185.610	185.016	0.2	-0.4	-0.3
New cars(3)		183.168	183.132	182.380	0.1	-0.4	-0.4
Used cars and trucks		185.947	185.184	181.816	1.3	-2.2	-1.8
Motor fuel		-	249.340	237.849	-5.0	-	-4.6
Gasoline (all types)		248.251	247.749	236.257	-5.2	-4.8	-4.6
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		240.490	239.956	228.377	-5.5	-5.0	-4.8
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		288.477	287.919	276.648	-3.5	-4.1	-3.9
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		285.724	285.509	275.397	-3.0	-3.6	-3.5
Medical care		-	545.836	548.027	1.7	-	0.4
Medical care commodities		-	381.418	383.672	0.0	-	0.6
Medical care services		-	600.941	603.091	2.1	-	0.4
Professional services		-	416.710	417.497	1.7	-	0.2
Recreation(2)		-	140.465	142.106	1.9	-	1.2
Education and communication(2)		-	142.133	140.423	-0.1	-	-1.2
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(5)		-	1,588.886	1,586.098	1.8	-	-0.2
Other goods and services		-	559.468	560.320	3.9	-	0.2
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. Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

Table 2. South 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		-	313.597	313.675	2.2	-	0.0
Food		-	337.856	340.017	3.0	-	0.6
Energy		-	248.648	244.278	0.7	-	-1.8
All items less food and energy		-	319.622	319.847	2.2	-	0.1
All items less energy		-	321.801	322.290	2.3	-	0.2
All items less medical care		-	300.612	300.585	2.2	-	0.0
All items less shelter		-	287.468	286.980	1.8	-	-0.2
Commodities		-	222.508	221.713	1.3	-	-0.4
Commodities less food		-	177.242	175.575	0.3	-	-0.9
Commodities less food & beverages		-	174.225	172.528	0.2	-	-1.0
Durables		-	126.455	125.781	1.0	-	-0.5
Nondurables		-	276.380	275.613	1.4	-	-0.3
Nondurables less food		-	227.878	224.828	-0.4	-	-1.3
Nondurables less food & beverages		-	225.304	222.067	-0.7	-	-1.4
Services		-	405.627	406.612	2.7	-	0.2
Services less rent of shelter(1)		-	432.703	433.083	2.6	-	0.1
Services less medical care services		-	386.943	387.831	2.8	-	0.2
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.