CPI release
CPI report: December 2021
Consumer prices rose 7.0% in the 12 months through December 2021, up from 6.8% in November. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, ran 5.5%. The CPI-U index stood at 278.802, a 0.3% change from the prior month (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers
| Headline inflation (12-month) | 7.0% |
|---|---|
| Core inflation (12-month) | 5.5% |
| CPI-U index level | 278.802 |
| Change vs. prior month (NSA) | 0.3% |
What moved: inflation by category
Over the twelve months ending December 2021, prices rose fastest in gasoline (all types) (49.6%), used cars and trucks (37.3%), energy (29.3%).
| Category | 12-month rate | vs. prior month (NSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (all types) | 49.6% | -2.2% |
| Used cars and trucks | 37.3% | 3.5% |
| Energy | 29.3% | -1.1% |
| Utility (piped) gas service | 24.1% | 0.1% |
| Transportation | 21.1% | 0.4% |
| New vehicles | 11.8% | 1.3% |
| Food at home | 6.5% | 0.4% |
| Electricity | 6.3% | 0.2% |
| Food | 6.3% | 0.5% |
| Food away from home | 6.0% | 0.6% |
| Apparel | 5.8% | -1.1% |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 5.5% | 0.4% |
| Housing | 5.1% | 0.4% |
| Shelter | 4.1% | 0.4% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | 4.1% | -0.1% |
| Owners' equivalent rent | 3.8% | 0.4% |
| Rent of primary residence | 3.3% | 0.4% |
| Recreation | 3.3% | -0.2% |
| Medical care | 2.2% | 0.2% |
| College tuition and fees | 1.8% | -0.1% |
| Education & communication | 1.6% | -0.0% |
| Airline fares | 1.4% | -2.9% |
| Prescription drugs | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Recent months
| Month | CPI-U | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | 278.802 | 7.0% |
| November 2021 | 277.948 | 6.8% |
| October 2021 | 276.589 | 6.2% |
| September 2021 | 274.31 | 5.4% |
| August 2021 | 273.567 | 5.3% |
| July 2021 | 273.003 | 5.4% |
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.