Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), advanced 0.4 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The February 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 increased 3.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.9 percent over the year. Energy prices increased 6.5 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. Food prices rose 2.5 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices increased 0.6 percent for the month of February. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home increased 0.8 percent, and prices for food away from home increased 0.4 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 2.5 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 4.1 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home advanced 1.1 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.0 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-1.5 percent). Prices for natural gas service declined 1.7 percent, but prices for electricity inched up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Energy prices increased 6.5 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (8.4 percent). Prices paid for electricity advanced 3.9 percent, and prices for natural gas service increased 2.4 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.5 percent in February. Higher prices for apparel (1.6 percent), household furnishings and operations (1.4 percent), and shelter (0.5 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for recreation (-0.3 percent) and medical care (-0.1 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.9 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (6.2 percent) and shelter (4.2 percent).

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

Month	2016		2017		2018		2019		2020
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.5	2.6	0.5	2.5	0.5	3.1	0.2	2.7	0.3	2.9
February	0.1	2.1	0.6	3.0	0.5	3.1	0.2	2.4	0.4	3.1
March	0.2	1.5	0.3	3.1	0.4	3.2	0.4	2.4
April	0.5	1.8	0.3	2.9	0.4	3.2	0.8	2.9
May	0.5	1.5	0.2	2.6	0.5	3.5	0.5	2.9
June	0.2	1.6	0.0	2.5	0.2	3.6	0.0	2.7
July	0.1	1.4	0.1	2.5	0.1	3.6	0.0	2.7
August	0.0	1.5	0.2	2.7	0.2	3.6	0.1	2.6
September	0.3	2.0	0.5	2.9	0.3	3.4	0.3	2.6
October	0.3	2.3	0.3	2.9	0.4	3.5	0.5	2.8
November	-0.2	2.3	0.0	3.1	-0.2	3.3	-0.1	2.8
December	0.0	2.5	0.1	3.1	-0.2	3.1	-0.2	2.8

The March 2020 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on April 10, 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/homch17_a.htm.

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-
	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020	Feb. 2020	Feb. 2019	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020
Expenditure category
All Items	272.584	273.340	274.412	3.1	0.7	0.4
All items (December 1977=100)	440.616	441.839	443.572
Food and beverages	267.096	268.585	270.347	2.3	1.2	0.7
Food	267.425	268.822	270.567	2.5	1.2	0.6
Food at home	250.222	250.901	253.013	1.1	1.1	0.8
Cereals and bakery products	262.004	262.896	264.157	0.1	0.8	0.5
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	260.400	260.270	262.564	2.1	0.8	0.9
Dairy and related products	236.295	239.091	237.350	3.7	0.4	-0.7
Fruits and vegetables	331.526	334.287	335.656	0.2	1.2	0.4
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials	174.619	176.334	177.397	0.9	1.6	0.6
Other food at home	211.683	210.466	214.762	0.5	1.5	2.0
Food away from home	289.770	292.149	293.380	4.1	1.2	0.4
Alcoholic beverages	259.502	262.106	264.063	-0.2	1.8	0.7
Housing	302.112	303.450	305.030	3.8	1.0	0.5
Shelter	350.777	351.875	353.541	4.2	0.8	0.5
Rent of primary residence(1)	374.382	375.390	376.628	4.6	0.6	0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)	369.702	370.471	371.409	4.1	0.5	0.3
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)	369.707	370.477	371.422	4.1	0.5	0.3
Fuels and utilities	304.982	309.674	309.627	3.5	1.5	0.0
Household energy	254.281	260.234	259.601	3.4	2.1	-0.2
Energy services(1)	256.032	262.095	261.609	3.6	2.2	-0.2
Electricity(1)	287.434	293.364	293.999	3.9	2.3	0.2
Utility (piped) gas service(1)	196.879	203.788	200.386	2.4	1.8	-1.7
Household furnishings and operations	131.794	132.534	134.328	0.8	1.9	1.4
Apparel	113.210	115.274	117.068	0.5	3.4	1.6
Transportation	218.713	216.625	216.984	2.2	-0.8	0.2
Private transportation	214.895	212.347	212.275	2.3	-1.2	0.0
New and used motor vehicles(3)	99.488	99.158	99.722	-0.6	0.2	0.6
New vehicles	147.969	148.092	148.965	0.6	0.7	0.6
New cars and trucks(3)(4)	102.754	102.862	103.472	0.6	0.7	0.6
New cars(4)	146.602	146.986	147.771	1.5	0.8	0.5
Used cars and trucks	131.779	130.773	132.052	-1.5	0.2	1.0
Motor fuel	268.140	258.303	254.399	8.3	-5.1	-1.5
Gasoline (all types)	266.882	256.949	253.140	8.4	-5.1	-1.5
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)	263.581	253.570	249.696	8.3	-5.3	-1.5
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)	256.745	248.008	244.018	8.8	-5.0	-1.6
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)	262.545	253.638	250.522	8.5	-4.6	-1.2
Motor vehicle insurance(6)	843.608	839.206	842.220	-1.4	-0.2	0.4
Medical Care	530.506	533.905	533.413	6.2	0.5	-0.1
Medical care commodities	434.657	433.200	425.570	11.2	-2.1	-1.8
Medical care services	559.982	564.908	566.670	5.0	1.2	0.3
Professional services	359.697	361.014	361.591	1.4	0.5	0.2
Recreation(3)	116.187	116.687	116.291	1.5	0.1	-0.3
Education and communication(3)	137.914	137.876	138.112	0.7	0.1	0.2
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)	1,494.758	1,496.746	1,496.885	2.5	0.1	0.0
Other goods and services	453.836	456.835	458.649	3.5	1.1	0.4
Commodity and Service Group
All Items	272.584	273.340	274.412	3.1	0.7	0.4
Commodities	187.603	187.697	188.567	2.4	0.5	0.5
Commodities less food & beverages	148.369	147.931	148.421	2.4	0.0	0.3
Nondurables less food & beverages	197.070	196.060	195.785	4.5	-0.7	-0.1
Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel	255.951	252.841	251.154	6.0	-1.9	-0.7
Durables	104.983	104.934	105.843	-0.6	0.8	0.9
Services	351.706	353.146	354.386	3.5	0.8	0.4
Rent of shelter(2)	373.602	374.781	376.555	4.2	0.8	0.5
Transportation services	318.458	318.559	320.819	0.2	0.7	0.7
Other services	362.528	363.514	363.197	2.1	0.2	-0.1
Special aggregate indexes:
All items less medical care	260.842	261.485	262.619	2.8	0.7	0.4
All items less food	273.570	274.222	275.184	3.2	0.6	0.4
All items less shelter	241.905	242.528	243.367	2.5	0.6	0.3
Commodities less food	152.523	152.166	152.699	2.3	0.1	0.4
Nondurables	232.319	232.523	233.240	3.4	0.4	0.3
Nondurables less food	201.855	201.080	200.950	4.2	-0.4	-0.1
Nondurables less food and apparel	255.981	253.480	252.180	5.4	-1.5	-0.5
Services less rent of shelter(2)	363.231	365.163	365.862	2.6	0.7	0.2
Services less medical care services	337.168	338.373	339.575	3.3	0.7	0.4
Energy	266.687	263.417	260.843	6.5	-2.2	-1.0
All items less energy	275.280	276.317	277.645	2.8	0.9	0.5
All items less food and energy	277.459	278.434	279.692	2.9	0.8	0.5
Commodities less food and energy commodities	139.819	140.403	141.386	0.9	1.1	0.7
Energy commodities	272.955	263.135	259.104	8.1	-5.1	-1.5
Services less energy services	358.577	359.762	361.104	3.5	0.7	0.4
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.