The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the South region increased 0.1 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged over the month, while the index for food rose 0.2 percent. The energy index was also unchanged in March. (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 1.9 percent for the 12 months ending March, after increasing 2.3 percent for the 12 months ending February. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.4 percent over the last 12 months. The food index increased 2.6 percent for the 12 months ending March. The energy index fell 4.5 percent over the last year.

  

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

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Mar 2022	9.1	7.1
Apr 2022	8.8	6.8
May 2022	9.2	6.7
Jun 2022	9.8	6.7
Jul 2022	9.4	6.8
Aug 2022	8.9	7.1
Sep 2022	8.7	7.4
Oct 2022	8.1	7.1
Nov 2022	7.7	6.9
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

The index for food rose 0.2 percent in March. The index for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) increased 0.3 percent over the month. The index for food at home (grocery store purchases) rose 0.1 percent in March. Four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the month, including meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (+1.0 percent). In comparison, the index for fruits and vegetables declined 1.2 percent in March.

The index for food rose 2.6 percent over the last 12 months. The food away from home index rose 3.5 percent over the past year. The food at home index increased 2.0 percent over the same period, as five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased. Within the food at home category, the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 7.6 percent over the last 12 months.

The energy index was unchanged in March. The index for electricity increased 1.9 percent over the month and the index for natural gas rose 1.1 percent. The gasoline index decreased 1.7 percent in March.

The energy index declined 4.5 percent over the past 12 months. The gasoline index fell 11.9 percent over this 12-month span. In contrast, the index for electricity rose 3.2 percent over the last 12 months and the index for natural gas increased 9.9 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in March. Indexes that increased over the month include owners’ equivalent rent (+0.3 percent) and apparel (+1.5 percent). The indexes for recreation (-0.8 percent) and medical care commodities (-1.3 percent) were among the indexes that decreased in March.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.4 percent over the past 12 months. The shelter index (+3.7 percent) was the largest contributor to the total 12-month increase in the all items less food and energy index. The index for owners’ equivalent rent increased 4.2 percent over the last year. The index for rent increased 3.1 percent over this 12-month span.

The Consumer Price Index for April 2025 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 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.

Percent changes for all-items data previously found in Table A of this release can be accessed in Chart 1 for this release and its attendant data table. A full all-items data series history for the original index value and for 1-month, 2-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month percent changes can be accessed via BLS data query tools. A direct link to the all-items series is provided in Table 1 of this release under historical data.

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 March 2025, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Jan. 2025	Feb. 2025	Mar. 2025	Mar. 2024	Jan. 2025	Feb. 2025
All items		308.911	309.987	310.183	1.9	0.4	0.1
All items (December 1977 = 100)		501.097	502.841	503.161	-	-	-
Food and beverages		327.036	328.168	328.811	2.5	0.5	0.2
Food		331.153	332.184	332.860	2.6	0.5	0.2
Food at home		308.419	309.178	309.531	2.0	0.4	0.1
Cereals and bakery products		364.203	364.199	364.296	0.1	0.0	0.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		332.387	338.264	341.813	7.6	2.8	1.0
Dairy and related products		273.284	271.069	271.425	1.8	-0.7	0.1
Fruits and vegetables		337.438	337.066	333.037	-1.0	-1.3	-1.2
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		219.920	221.381	221.845	2.4	0.9	0.2
Other food at home		273.801	272.751	273.186	0.1	-0.2	0.2
Food away from home		369.651	371.150	372.381	3.5	0.7	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		269.794	272.329	272.519	1.4	1.0	0.1
Housing		319.245	320.187	321.598	3.5	0.7	0.4
Shelter		375.110	375.491	376.747	3.7	0.4	0.3
Rent of primary residence		399.187	399.556	400.242	3.1	0.3	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		377.962	378.516	379.796	4.2	0.5	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		377.904	378.452	379.733	4.1	0.5	0.3
Fuels and utilities		306.607	308.516	312.596	4.2	2.0	1.3
Household energy		248.618	249.875	254.037	3.9	2.2	1.7
Energy services		248.737	249.917	254.318	4.1	2.2	1.8
Electricity		242.739	243.408	247.978	3.2	2.2	1.9
Utility (piped) gas service		268.071	272.405	275.406	9.9	2.7	1.1
Household furnishings and operations		146.431	148.686	149.253	0.3	1.9	0.4
Apparel		136.315	141.255	143.383	-1.0	5.2	1.5
Transportation		271.853	272.026	269.429	-1.9	-0.9	-1.0
Private transportation		273.766	274.432	271.908	-1.9	-0.7	-0.9
New and used motor vehicles(2)		125.747	125.720	125.892	-0.9	0.1	0.1
New vehicles		185.208	185.302	185.367	-0.2	0.1	0.0
New cars(3)		182.540	182.601	182.537	-0.4	0.0	0.0
Used cars and trucks		180.527	180.621	181.024	0.2	0.3	0.2
Motor fuel		256.748	257.597	253.256	-11.9	-1.4	-1.7
Gasoline (all types)		255.461	256.203	251.915	-11.9	-1.4	-1.7
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		248.160	248.887	244.556	-12.4	-1.5	-1.7
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		292.753	293.810	289.622	-10.0	-1.1	-1.4
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		289.408	290.174	286.450	-8.9	-1.0	-1.3
Medical care		540.213	541.981	540.453	2.0	0.0	-0.3
Medical care commodities		385.185	386.288	381.241	0.3	-1.0	-1.3
Medical care services		591.964	593.959	593.717	2.4	0.3	0.0
Professional services		407.914	409.288	410.314	3.1	0.6	0.3
Recreation(2)		141.371	141.944	140.756	1.6	-0.4	-0.8
Education and communication(2)		140.613	140.617	140.989	-0.2	0.3	0.3
Tuition, other school fees, and childcare(5)		1,555.193	1,555.388	1,560.521	3.5	0.3	0.3
Other goods and services		540.928	545.193	548.562	3.6	1.4	0.6
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. Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

Table 2. South region CPI-U by special aggregate index for March 2025, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from:
	Historical data	Jan. 2025	Feb. 2025	Mar. 2025	Mar. 2024	Jan. 2025	Feb. 2025
All items		308.911	309.987	310.183	1.9	0.4	0.1
Food		331.153	332.184	332.860	2.6	0.5	0.2
Energy		247.205	248.242	248.270	-4.5	0.4	0.0
All items less food and energy		314.866	315.963	316.103	2.4	0.4	0.0
All items less energy		316.782	317.869	318.083	2.4	0.4	0.1
All items less medical care		295.995	297.031	297.313	1.9	0.4	0.1
All items less shelter		283.789	285.162	284.919	0.8	0.4	-0.1
Commodities		219.937	221.003	220.956	-0.8	0.5	0.0
Commodities less food		176.054	177.083	176.816	-2.6	0.4	-0.2
Commodities less food & beverages		173.183	174.174	173.898	-2.8	0.4	-0.2
Durables		124.840	125.027	125.185	-1.7	0.3	0.1
Nondurables		273.339	275.077	274.837	-0.4	0.5	-0.1
Nondurables less food		227.702	229.988	229.033	-3.4	0.6	-0.4
Nondurables less food & beverages		225.561	227.836	226.811	-3.7	0.6	-0.4
Services		398.781	399.857	400.306	3.4	0.4	0.1
Services less rent of shelter(1)		426.208	428.267	427.500	2.9	0.3	-0.2
Services less medical care services		380.324	381.320	381.817	3.5	0.4	0.1
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.