The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the West region advanced 0.9 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The all items less food and energy index increased 0.3 percent. The food index rose 0.1 percent, and the energy index increased 12.1 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The West all items CPI-U rose 3.1 percent for the 12 months ending in March. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.6 percent over the year. Food prices advanced 2.6 percent. Energy prices rose 11.7 percent.  

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, West region, March 2023–March 2026

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Mar 2023	5.1	5.5
Apr 2023	4.9	5.4
May 2023	4.5	5.3
Jun 2023	3.5	4.7
Jul 2023	3.5	4.3
Aug 2023	3.9	4.1
Sep 2023	3.9	3.9
Oct 2023	3.3	3.7
Nov 2023	3.3	3.7
Dec 2023	3.6	3.7
Jan 2024	3.3	3.7
Feb 2024	3.2	3.6
Mar 2024	3.6	3.8
Apr 2024	3.7	3.6
May 2024	3.3	3.3
Jun 2024	2.8	3.0
Jul 2024	2.6	3.0
Aug 2024	2.2	2.9
Sep 2024	2.1	3.0
Oct 2024	2.1	3.1
Nov 2024	2.4	3.1
Dec 2024	2.5	2.9
Jan 2025	2.4	2.7
Feb 2025	2.6	2.7
Mar 2025	2.2	2.5
Apr 2025	2.1	2.5
May 2025	2.4	2.8
Jun 2025	2.7	2.9
Jul 2025	3.0	3.2
Aug 2025	3.2	3.4
Sep 2025	3.3	3.3
Oct 2025	-	-
Nov 2025	3.0	3.0
Dec 2025	2.9	2.9
Jan 2026	2.7	2.9
Feb 2026	2.7	2.8
Mar 2026	3.1	2.6
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

Food prices advanced 0.1 percent for the month of March. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) were unchanged, and prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) advanced 0.2 percent for the same period.

Food prices advanced 2.6 percent over the year. Prices for food at home rose 1.7 percent, with higher prices in 4 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home advanced 3.8 percent.

The energy index advanced 12.1 percent over the month. Gasoline prices increased 22.6 percent. Prices for natural gas service fell 2.2 percent, and prices for electricity decreased 1.0 percent for the same period.

Energy prices rose 11.7 percent over the year. Gasoline prices increased 19.1 percent. Prices for electricity advanced 2.1 percent, while prices for natural gas service fell 2.5 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.3 percent in March. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for shelter (+0.5 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for medical care (-0.3 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.3 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.6 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (+4.1 percent) and shelter (+2.7 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-2.6 percent) and education and communication (-0.4 percent).

The April 2026 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on May 12, 2026.

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 West 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 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.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Table 1. West region CPI-U by expenditure category for March 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Mar. 2026	Mar. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026
All items		345.152	346.990	350.226	3.1	1.5	0.9
All items (December 1977 = 100)		557.919	560.890	566.120
Food and beverages		359.632	360.472	360.776	2.6	0.3	0.1
Food		362.650	363.578	363.811	2.6	0.3	0.1
Food at home		335.240	335.984	335.986	1.7	0.2	0.0
Cereals and bakery products		347.132	347.300	346.823	2.5	-0.1	-0.1
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		370.338	364.504	363.454	-3.7	-1.9	-0.3
Dairy and related products		279.707	276.394	277.659	-3.5	-0.7	0.5
Fruits and vegetables		415.609	425.455	427.888	5.5	3.0	0.6
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		239.539	242.438	238.898	2.9	-0.3	-1.5
Other food at home		292.909	294.311	295.434	4.2	0.9	0.4
Food away from home		401.585	402.819	403.461	3.8	0.5	0.2
Alcoholic beverages		313.713	313.273	314.620	1.8	0.3	0.4
Housing		388.353	390.761	391.880	2.7	0.9	0.3
Shelter		447.728	450.259	452.320	2.7	1.0	0.5
Rent of primary residence		478.799	479.538	480.018	2.2	0.3	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		474.217	475.870	476.319	2.7	0.4	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		474.024	475.677	476.131	2.7	0.4	0.1
Fuels and utilities		440.753	442.487	439.631	2.4	-0.3	-0.6
Household energy		378.686	380.109	375.961	1.3	-0.7	-1.1
Energy services		382.553	383.664	378.754	1.1	-1.0	-1.3
Electricity		427.755	429.679	425.255	2.1	-0.6	-1.0
Utility (piped) gas service		294.652	293.758	287.242	-2.5	-2.5	-2.2
Household furnishings and operations		162.253	164.363	163.804	3.5	1.0	-0.3
Apparel		125.639	131.832	132.611	3.3	5.5	0.6
Transportation		281.762	284.921	298.422	5.3	5.9	4.7
Private transportation		279.793	283.240	297.351	4.8	6.3	5.0
New and used motor vehicles(2)		122.374	122.061	122.432	-0.9	0.0	0.3
New vehicles		176.336	176.485	176.514	0.3	0.1	0.0
New cars(3)		175.551	176.001	176.934	1.1	0.8	0.5
Used cars and trucks		172.132	170.240	170.874	-2.6	-0.7	0.4
Motor fuel		303.149	321.413	395.346	19.6	30.4	23.0
Gasoline (all types)		301.156	319.745	391.961	19.1	30.2	22.6
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		295.612	314.411	387.455	19.4	31.1	23.2
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		291.235	308.443	374.309	18.3	28.5	21.4
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		303.648	320.306	385.474	17.7	26.9	20.3
Medical care		655.472	656.281	654.237	4.1	-0.2	-0.3
Medical care commodities		481.568	483.709	474.400	0.2	-1.5	-1.9
Medical care services		708.845	709.253	709.395	4.9	0.1	0.0
Professional services		447.877	450.097	450.247	4.9	0.5	0.0
Recreation(2)		137.894	137.310	137.371	3.1	-0.4	0.0
Education and communication(2)		144.336	143.104	143.370	-0.4	-0.7	0.2
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,766.027	1,769.084	1,769.644	3.3	0.2	0.0
Other goods and services		587.959	585.858	589.309	3.6	0.2	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. West region CPI-U by special aggregate index for March 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026	Mar. 2026	Mar. 2025	Jan. 2026	Feb. 2026
All items		345.152	346.990	350.226	3.1	1.5	0.9
Food		362.650	363.578	363.811	2.6	0.3	0.1
Energy		341.887	353.487	396.271	11.7	15.9	12.1
All items less food and energy		346.509	347.822	348.774	2.6	0.7	0.3
All items less energy		348.053	349.311	350.162	2.6	0.6	0.2
All items less medical care		330.915	332.793	336.251	3.0	1.6	1.0
All items less shelter		304.552	306.116	309.828	3.4	1.7	1.2
Commodities		229.585	231.632	236.604	3.4	3.1	2.1
Commodities less food		175.497	177.769	183.907	3.8	4.8	3.5
Commodities less food & beverages		170.484	172.786	178.953	3.9	5.0	3.6
Durables		122.014	121.801	121.899	0.1	-0.1	0.1
Nondurables		291.714	295.662	304.616	4.8	4.4	3.0
Nondurables less food & beverages		225.323	231.988	248.538	7.8	10.3	7.1
Nondurables less food		231.666	237.985	253.808	7.4	9.6	6.6
Services		453.478	455.019	456.279	3.0	0.6	0.3
Services less rent of shelter(1)		474.422	474.643	474.817	3.4	0.1	0.0
Services less medical care services		435.484	437.102	438.438	2.8	0.7	0.3
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.