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News Release Information

20-58-SAN
Tuesday, January 14, 2020

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

Consumer Price Index, West Region — December 2019

Area prices were down 0.2 percent over the past month, up 2.8 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), edged down 0.2 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The December decrease was influenced by lower prices for energy. (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 advanced 2.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent over the year. Food prices rose 2.1 percent. Energy prices advanced 3.4 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices crept up 0.1 percent for the month of December. (See table 1.) Prices for food away from home rose 0.3 percent, while prices for food at home were virtually unchanged and for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 2.1 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 3.6 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home rose 0.8 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 3.9 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-6.2 percent). Prices for electricity declined 1.2 percent, but prices for natural gas service advanced 4.4 percent for the same period.

Energy prices advanced 3.4 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (5.2 percent). Prices paid for electricity rose 0.8 percent, and prices for natural gas service advanced 0.4 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy crept up 0.1 percent in December. Higher prices for medical care (1.4 percent), recreation (0.4 percent), and shelter (0.1 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-1.3 percent) and education and communication (-0.3 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (6.0 percent) and shelter (4.3 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decrease in apparel (-0.1 percent).

Table A. West region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.30.70.52.60.52.50.53.10.22.7

February

0.60.90.12.10.63.00.53.10.22.4

March

0.81.10.21.50.33.10.43.20.42.4

April

0.31.00.51.80.32.90.43.20.82.9

May

0.81.20.51.50.22.60.53.50.52.9

June

0.01.10.21.60.02.50.23.60.02.7

July

0.31.30.11.40.12.50.13.60.02.7

August

-0.11.30.01.50.22.70.23.60.12.6

September

-0.21.00.32.00.52.90.33.40.32.6

October

0.01.10.32.30.32.90.43.50.52.8

November

-0.21.5-0.22.30.03.1-0.23.3-0.12.8

December

-0.11.80.02.50.13.1-0.23.1-0.22.8

The January 2020 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on February 13, 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/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

IndexesPercent change from-
Oct.
2019
Nov.
2019
Dec.
2019
Dec.
2018
Oct.
2019
Nov.
2019

Expenditure category

All Items

273.524273.128272.5842.8-0.3-0.2

All items (December 1977=100)

442.137441.496440.616   

Food and beverages

267.382266.850267.0961.9-0.10.1

Food

267.487267.107267.4252.10.00.1

Food at home

251.030250.350250.2220.8-0.3-0.1

Cereals and bakery products

266.617266.219262.0040.1-1.7-1.6

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

257.933259.911260.4001.21.00.2

Dairy and related products

234.068233.698236.2954.21.01.1

Fruits and vegetables

336.864330.634331.5260.0-1.60.3

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

174.118174.995174.6191.30.3-0.2

Other food at home

212.827211.908211.683-0.1-0.5-0.1

Food away from home

288.871288.878289.7703.60.30.3

Alcoholic beverages

262.665260.173259.502-1.4-1.2-0.3

Housing

302.144301.908302.1123.70.00.1

Shelter

349.802350.397350.7774.30.30.1

Rent of primary residence(1)

371.955373.143374.3824.60.70.3

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

367.314368.433369.7024.40.70.3

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

367.318368.436369.7074.40.70.3

Fuels and utilities

310.623305.066304.9822.0-1.80.0

Household energy

262.208254.427254.2810.7-3.0-0.1

Energy services(1)

264.312256.323256.0320.7-3.1-0.1

Electricity(1)

297.331290.952287.4340.8-3.3-1.2

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

201.626188.520196.8790.4-2.44.4

Household furnishings and operations

132.956132.061131.7940.6-0.9-0.2

Apparel

119.233114.668113.210-0.1-5.1-1.3

Transportation

223.674223.156218.7131.4-2.2-2.0

Private transportation

219.314218.956214.8951.5-2.0-1.9

New and used motor vehicles(3)

99.74399.53199.488-0.6-0.30.0

New vehicles

147.391147.579147.9690.20.40.3

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

102.350102.480102.7540.10.40.3

New cars(4)

145.782146.222146.6020.90.60.3

Used cars and trucks

133.071132.086131.779-0.9-1.0-0.2

Motor fuel

286.854285.613268.1405.1-6.5-6.1

Gasoline (all types)

286.207284.666266.8825.2-6.8-6.2

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

283.162281.564263.5815.1-6.9-6.4

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

272.405271.444256.7455.2-5.7-5.4

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

279.515278.300262.5455.4-6.1-5.7

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

842.158843.534843.608-1.10.20.0

Medical Care

521.163523.141530.5066.01.81.4

Medical care commodities

411.526413.647434.65712.85.65.1

Medical care services

555.400557.317559.9824.30.80.5

Professional services

359.664359.655359.6971.20.00.0

Recreation(3)

115.627115.738116.1870.70.50.4

Education and communication(3)

137.928138.301137.9140.60.0-0.3

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)

1,494.3131,495.4441,494.7582.50.00.0

Other goods and services

451.586455.293453.8363.20.5-0.3

Commodity and Service Group

All Items

273.524273.128272.5842.8-0.3-0.2

Commodities

190.020189.091187.6031.8-1.3-0.8

Commodities less food & beverages

151.460150.430148.3691.7-2.0-1.4

Nondurables less food & beverages

202.934200.892197.0703.3-2.9-1.9

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

261.643261.450255.9514.4-2.2-2.1

Durables

105.835105.618104.983-0.5-0.8-0.6

Services

351.102351.264351.7063.40.20.1

Rent of shelter(2)

372.536373.174373.6024.30.30.1

Transportation services

321.753321.138318.4580.2-1.0-0.8

Other services

360.056360.878362.5282.00.70.5

Special aggregate indexes:

All items less medical care

262.221261.724260.8422.5-0.5-0.3

All items less food

274.649274.249273.5702.9-0.4-0.2

All items less shelter

243.616242.821241.9051.9-0.7-0.4

Commodities less food

155.642154.565152.5231.5-2.0-1.3

Nondurables

235.675234.306232.3192.5-1.4-0.8

Nondurables less food

207.598205.518201.8552.9-2.8-1.8

Nondurables less food and apparel

261.427261.017255.9813.8-2.1-1.9

Services less rent of shelter(2)

363.142362.722363.2312.10.00.1

Services less medical care services

336.825336.873337.1683.30.10.1

Energy

281.399277.542266.6873.4-5.2-3.9

All items less energy

275.227275.079275.2802.70.00.1

All items less food and energy

277.386277.277277.4592.80.00.1

Commodities less food and energy commodities

141.127140.062139.8190.8-0.9-0.2

Energy commodities

291.662290.390272.9555.0-6.4-6.0

Services less energy services

357.483358.093358.5773.50.30.1

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) Indexes 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.
(6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.

- Data not available
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: Tuesday, January 14, 2020