CPI release
CPI report: February 2022
Consumer prices rose 7.9% in the 12 months through February 2022, up from 7.5% in January. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, ran 6.4%. The CPI-U index stood at 283.716, a 0.9% change from the prior month (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers
| Headline inflation (12-month) | 7.9% |
|---|---|
| Core inflation (12-month) | 6.4% |
| CPI-U index level | 283.716 |
| Change vs. prior month (NSA) | 0.9% |
What moved: inflation by category
Over the twelve months ending February 2022, prices rose fastest in used cars and trucks (41.2%), gasoline (all types) (38.0%), energy (25.6%).
| Category | 12-month rate | vs. prior month (NSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Used cars and trucks | 41.2% | 0.8% |
| Gasoline (all types) | 38.0% | 5.4% |
| Energy | 25.6% | 2.7% |
| Utility (piped) gas service | 23.8% | 0.6% |
| Transportation | 21.1% | 1.9% |
| Airline fares | 12.7% | 5.4% |
| New vehicles | 12.4% | 0.3% |
| Electricity | 9.0% | -0.7% |
| Food at home | 8.6% | 1.4% |
| Food | 7.9% | 1.0% |
| Food away from home | 6.8% | 0.4% |
| Apparel | 6.6% | 3.1% |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.4% | 0.7% |
| Housing | 5.9% | 0.6% |
| Recreation | 5.0% | 0.9% |
| Shelter | 4.7% | 0.6% |
| Owners' equivalent rent | 4.3% | 0.4% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | 4.3% | 1.8% |
| Rent of primary residence | 4.2% | 0.5% |
| Medical care | 2.4% | 0.4% |
| Prescription drugs | 2.4% | 0.3% |
| College tuition and fees | 2.0% | 0.0% |
| Education & communication | 1.6% | 0.0% |
Recent months
| Month | CPI-U | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|
| February 2022 | 283.716 | 7.9% |
| January 2022 | 281.148 | 7.5% |
| December 2021 | 278.802 | 7.0% |
| November 2021 | 277.948 | 6.8% |
| October 2021 | 276.589 | 6.2% |
| September 2021 | 274.31 | 5.4% |
Put it in context
- The current inflation rate, to check whether this is still the latest reading
- What 2021 dollars are worth in 2022, the year-over-year conversion
- Inflation in 2022, 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.