The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the West region advanced 0.4 percent in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The all items less food and energy index increased 0.2 percent. The food index rose 0.1 percent, and the energy index increased 3.5 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The West all items CPI-U increased 3.5 percent for the 12 months ending in May. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.4 percent over the year. Food prices rose 2.9 percent. Energy prices advanced 19.9 percent.  

  

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

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
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
Apr 2026	3.5	2.6
May 2026	3.5	2.4
Note: The October 2025 data values are not available due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.

Food prices increased 0.1 percent for the month of May. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) increased 0.1 percent, with higher prices in 4 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) rose 0.2 percent for the same period.

Food prices rose 2.9 percent over the year. Prices for food at home advanced 2.5 percent, with higher prices in 4 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home rose 3.3 percent.

The energy index advanced 3.5 percent over the month. Gasoline prices increased 4.7 percent. Prices for natural gas service rose 4.2 percent, and prices for electricity rose 1.6 percent for the same period.

Energy prices advanced 19.9 percent over the year. Gasoline prices increased 32.3 percent. Prices for electricity increased 3.6 percent, while prices for natural gas service fell 1.9 percent during the past year.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in May. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for education and communication (+0.7 percent) and shelter (+0.2 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for apparel (-1.2 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.7 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.4 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+2.7 percent) and medical care (+2.5 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for used cars and trucks (-1.7 percent) and education and communication (-0.3 percent).

The June 2026 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on July 14, 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 May 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Mar. 2026	Apr. 2026	May 2026	May 2025	Mar. 2026	Apr. 2026
All items		350.226	353.161	354.478	3.5	1.2	0.4
All items (December 1977 = 100)		566.120	570.865	572.994
Food and beverages		360.776	362.379	362.827	2.9	0.6	0.1
Food		363.811	365.632	365.990	2.9	0.6	0.1
Food at home		335.986	338.236	338.413	2.5	0.7	0.1
Cereals and bakery products		346.823	339.605	347.220	1.5	0.1	2.2
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		363.454	370.969	365.085	-0.2	0.4	-1.6
Dairy and related products		277.659	279.075	279.867	-2.7	0.8	0.3
Fruits and vegetables		427.888	443.426	444.297	9.3	3.8	0.2
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		238.898	240.171	244.188	4.6	2.2	1.7
Other food at home		295.434	292.816	291.593	1.9	-1.3	-0.4
Food away from home		403.461	404.458	405.131	3.3	0.4	0.2
Alcoholic beverages		314.620	313.033	314.796	2.4	0.1	0.6
Housing		391.880	393.876	394.768	2.6	0.7	0.2
Shelter		452.320	454.585	455.541	2.7	0.7	0.2
Rent of primary residence		480.018	481.196	481.944	2.2	0.4	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		476.319	478.084	478.773	2.6	0.5	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		476.131	477.896	478.582	2.6	0.5	0.1
Fuels and utilities		439.631	445.370	451.696	3.3	2.7	1.4
Household energy		375.961	382.881	390.990	2.6	4.0	2.1
Energy services		378.754	385.727	393.862	2.4	4.0	2.1
Electricity		425.255	435.090	441.907	3.6	3.9	1.6
Utility (piped) gas service		287.242	287.381	299.494	-1.9	4.3	4.2
Household furnishings and operations		163.804	163.588	162.401	1.5	-0.9	-0.7
Apparel		132.611	132.640	131.074	4.1	-1.2	-1.2
Transportation		298.422	307.403	312.304	8.4	4.7	1.6
Private transportation		297.351	305.595	309.211	7.4	4.0	1.2
New and used motor vehicles(2)		122.432	122.899	123.395	-0.8	0.8	0.4
New vehicles		176.514	176.633	176.627	0.1	0.1	0.0
New cars(3)		176.934	176.760	177.357	1.2	0.2	0.3
Used cars and trucks		170.874	172.716	175.120	-1.7	2.5	1.4
Motor fuel		395.346	435.462	454.436	33.1	14.9	4.4
Gasoline (all types)		391.961	430.020	450.208	32.3	14.9	4.7
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		387.455	425.594	445.942	32.9	15.1	4.8
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		374.309	409.869	428.482	31.1	14.5	4.5
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		385.474	420.914	439.407	30.1	14.0	4.4
Medical care		654.237	652.434	650.257	2.5	-0.6	-0.3
Medical care commodities		474.400	470.054	464.410	-3.5	-2.1	-1.2
Medical care services		709.395	708.356	707.221	3.8	-0.3	-0.2
Professional services		450.247	450.238	449.860	4.5	-0.1	-0.1
Recreation(2)		137.371	137.606	137.605	2.6	0.2	0.0
Education and communication(2)		143.370	142.950	143.935	-0.3	0.4	0.7
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		103.806	103.864	103.883	3.2	0.1	0.0
Other goods and services		589.309	602.557	601.143	4.6	2.0	-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 2024=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 May 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Mar. 2026	Apr. 2026	May 2026	May 2025	Mar. 2026	Apr. 2026
All items		350.226	353.161	354.478	3.5	1.2	0.4
Food		363.811	365.632	365.990	2.9	0.6	0.1
Energy		396.271	423.344	438.183	19.9	10.6	3.5
All items less food and energy		348.774	350.212	350.740	2.4	0.6	0.2
All items less energy		350.162	351.649	352.153	2.5	0.6	0.1
All items less medical care		336.251	339.386	340.852	3.6	1.4	0.4
All items less shelter		309.828	313.037	314.501	4.1	1.5	0.5
Commodities		236.604	239.923	241.033	4.5	1.9	0.5
Commodities less food		183.907	187.493	188.769	5.5	2.6	0.7
Commodities less food & beverages		178.953	182.607	183.858	5.6	2.7	0.7
Durables		121.899	122.164	122.234	-0.9	0.3	0.1
Nondurables		304.616	310.386	312.334	6.9	2.5	0.6
Nondurables less food & beverages		248.538	257.942	261.201	12.3	5.1	1.3
Nondurables less food		253.808	262.670	265.868	11.6	4.8	1.2
Services		456.279	458.685	460.169	3.0	0.9	0.3
Services less rent of shelter(1)		474.817	477.475	479.734	3.5	1.0	0.5
Services less medical care services		438.438	441.081	442.743	2.9	1.0	0.4
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.