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News Release Information

18-7-SAN
Friday, January 12, 2018

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Consumer Price Index, West Region — December 2017

Area prices were up 0.1 percent over the past month, up 3.1 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), inched up 0.1 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The December increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and food. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 3.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices advanced 8.4 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.9 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices advanced 0.4 percent for the month of December. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home rose 0.5 percent, while prices for food away from home were virtually unchanged for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 1.9 percent. Prices for food away from home increased 3.6 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home increased 0.6 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.1 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-2.5 percent). Prices for natural gas service advanced 1.4 percent, and prices for electricity advanced 0.4 percent for the same period.

Energy prices advanced 8.4 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (15.4 percent). Prices paid for electricity rose 1.9 percent, but prices for natural gas service declined 2.3 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched up 0.1 percent in December. Higher prices for household furnishings and operations (0.8 percent), new and used motor vehicles (0.5 percent), and shelter (0.4 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-3.8 percent) and other goods and services (-0.5 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 2.9 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (4.5 percent) and medical care (2.1 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price declines in apparel (-1.3 percent) and education and communication (-0.6 percent).

Table A. West Region CPI-U monthly and annual percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)
Month201220132014201520162017
MonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnual

January

0.42.60.31.70.31.7-0.30.70.52.60.52.5

February

0.42.50.82.00.41.30.60.90.12.10.63.0

March

0.92.40.41.50.61.50.81.10.21.50.33.1

April

0.22.10.01.30.31.80.31.00.5 1.80.32.9

May

0.22.00.21.30.62.30.81.20.51.50.22.6

June

-0.22.00.11.50.12.30.01.10.21.60.02.5

July

-0.31.80.01.90.12.30.31.30.11.40.12.5

August

0.52.10.11.5-0.12.1-0.11.30.01.50.22.7

September

0.52.20.21.30.12.0-0.21.00.32.00.52.9

October

0.42.5-0.10.9-0.12.00.01.10.32.30.32.9

November

-0.71.9-0.41.3-0.61.7-0.21.5-0.22.30.03.1

December

-0.51.70.01.8-0.51.3-0.11.80.02.50.13.1

The January 2018 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on February 14, 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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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/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 West Region covered in this release is comprised of the following thirteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

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

West (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017
Dec.
2017
Dec.
2016
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

257.223257.126257.3473.10.00.1

All items (December 1977=100)

415.786415.629415.987   

Food and beverages

255.751255.463256.3761.90.20.4

Food

255.590255.236256.1541.90.20.4

Food at home

245.094244.108245.4200.60.10.5

Food away from home

269.251269.801270.1543.60.30.1

Alcoholic beverages

254.567255.170255.9962.10.60.3

Housing

280.172279.617280.7903.90.20.4

Shelter

321.741321.991323.2334.50.50.4

Rent of primary residence(1)

338.364339.973342.1094.81.10.6

Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)

337.539339.010340.2164.60.80.4

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)

337.547339.013340.2214.60.80.4

Fuels and utilities

297.769289.512290.6341.9-2.40.4

Household energy

257.284246.737248.0921.0-3.60.5

Energy services(1)

259.651248.236249.7390.9-3.80.6

Electricity(1)

288.877277.928278.9831.9-3.40.4

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

206.353193.095195.765-2.3-5.11.4

Household furnishings and operations

127.713127.873128.8530.40.90.8

Apparel

122.676118.553114.047-1.3-7.0-3.8

Transportation

205.592207.818207.2125.60.8-0.3

Private transportation

200.274202.613202.4336.21.1-0.1

New and used motor vehicles(3)

99.05798.87699.4070.30.40.5

New vehicles

145.898146.188146.734-1.00.60.4

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

101.330101.528101.910-1.00.60.4

New cars(4)

142.454142.820143.318-1.50.60.3

Used cars and trucks

131.139130.151131.270-0.40.10.9

Motor fuel

229.619236.882231.08015.50.6-2.4

Gasoline (all types)

228.558235.686229.77615.40.5-2.5

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

225.865232.907226.92115.60.5-2.6

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

218.107225.115220.46714.91.1-2.1

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

225.170231.940226.64514.40.7-2.3

Medical Care

483.541484.696484.8982.10.30.0

Medical care commodities

373.801376.052375.6184.40.5-0.1

Medical care services

518.068518.795519.2341.50.20.1

Professional services

353.532353.472354.1720.30.20.2

Recreation(3)

113.238113.144113.4861.70.20.3

Education and communication(3)

136.464136.503136.336-0.6-0.1-0.1

Other goods and services

428.217428.094425.9243.6-0.5-0.5
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

257.223257.126257.3473.10.00.1

Commodities

181.256181.303180.6212.2-0.4-0.4

Commodities less food & beverages

144.238144.413143.1382.4-0.8-0.9

Nondurables less food & beverages

187.122187.376184.1684.8-1.6-1.7

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

232.626235.672233.2156.90.3-1.0

Durables

105.371105.477105.804-0.90.40.3

Services

327.590327.355328.4473.70.30.3

Rent of shelter(2)

342.547342.816344.1274.50.50.4

Transportation services

304.522307.585308.5976.31.30.3

Other services

345.744345.295346.3601.40.20.3
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

246.875246.723246.9453.20.00.1

All items less food

257.648257.590257.7043.30.00.0

All items less shelter

232.026231.779231.5662.3-0.2-0.1

Commodities less food

148.337148.525147.2962.4-0.7-0.8

Nondurables

221.568221.572220.2513.2-0.6-0.6

Nondurables less food

192.146192.421189.4204.6-1.4-1.6

Nondurables less food and apparel

234.429237.254235.0926.40.3-0.9

Services less rent of shelter(2)

345.234344.306345.2322.50.00.3

Services less medical care services

314.279313.983315.1133.90.30.4

Energy

244.605244.002241.3288.4-1.3-1.1

All items less energy

260.273260.214260.6532.80.10.2

All items less food and energy

261.863261.853262.2132.90.10.1

Commodities less food and energy commodities

139.704139.013138.3200.1-1.0-0.5

Energy commodities

233.954241.600235.73015.30.8-2.4

Services less energy services

332.752333.212334.2813.80.50.3

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) Index is 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.
 

Regions defined as the four Census regions. West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, January 12, 2018