CPI release
CPI report: April 2021
Consumer prices rose 4.2% in the 12 months through April 2021, up from 2.6% in March. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, ran 3.0%. The CPI-U index stood at 267.054, a 0.8% change from the prior month (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers
| Headline inflation (12-month) | 4.2% |
|---|---|
| Core inflation (12-month) | 3.0% |
| CPI-U index level | 267.054 |
| Change vs. prior month (NSA) | 0.8% |
What moved: inflation by category
Over the twelve months ending April 2021, prices rose fastest in gasoline (all types) (49.6%), energy (25.1%), used cars and trucks (21.0%), while prescription drugs prices fell (-1.9%).
| Category | 12-month rate | vs. prior month (NSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (all types) | 49.6% | 2.0% |
| Energy | 25.1% | 1.4% |
| Used cars and trucks | 21.0% | 9.6% |
| Transportation | 14.9% | 3.1% |
| Utility (piped) gas service | 12.1% | 1.3% |
| Airline fares | 9.6% | 13.1% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | 6.1% | 0.4% |
| Food away from home | 3.8% | 0.3% |
| Electricity | 3.6% | 1.0% |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.0% | 0.8% |
| Housing | 2.6% | 0.4% |
| Food | 2.4% | 0.5% |
| Recreation | 2.1% | 0.8% |
| Shelter | 2.1% | 0.4% |
| Owners' equivalent rent | 2.0% | 0.2% |
| New vehicles | 2.0% | 0.4% |
| Apparel | 1.9% | -0.1% |
| Rent of primary residence | 1.8% | 0.2% |
| Education & communication | 1.7% | 0.3% |
| Medical care | 1.5% | -0.0% |
| Food at home | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| College tuition and fees | 0.3% | -0.1% |
| Prescription drugs | -1.9% | 0.5% |
Recent months
| Month | CPI-U | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|
| April 2021 | 267.054 | 4.2% |
| March 2021 | 264.877 | 2.6% |
| February 2021 | 263.014 | 1.7% |
| January 2021 | 261.582 | 1.4% |
| December 2020 | 260.474 | 1.4% |
| November 2020 | 260.229 | 1.2% |
Put it in context
- The current inflation rate, to check whether this is still the latest reading
- What 2020 dollars are worth in 2021, the year-over-year conversion
- Inflation in 2021, the full year in review
- How the BLS turns 80,000 prices into this number
- How to read a CPI report, headline vs. core and what moves after release day
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U, not seasonally adjusted (official CPI news releases). Category series are listed on the data sources page. See the methodology.