CPI release
CPI report: March 2021
Consumer prices rose 2.6% in the 12 months through March 2021, up from 1.7% in February. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, ran 1.6%. The CPI-U index stood at 264.877, a 0.7% change from the prior month (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers
| Headline inflation (12-month) | 2.6% |
|---|---|
| Core inflation (12-month) | 1.6% |
| CPI-U index level | 264.877 |
| Change vs. prior month (NSA) | 0.7% |
What moved: inflation by category
Over the twelve months ending March 2021, prices rose fastest in gasoline (all types) (22.5%), energy (13.2%), utility (piped) gas service (9.8%), while airline fares prices fell (-15.1%).
| Category | 12-month rate | vs. prior month (NSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (all types) | 22.5% | 11.7% |
| Energy | 13.2% | 5.9% |
| Utility (piped) gas service | 9.8% | 1.4% |
| Used cars and trucks | 9.4% | 2.4% |
| Transportation | 5.8% | 3.2% |
| Food away from home | 3.7% | 0.1% |
| Food | 3.5% | 0.2% |
| Food at home | 3.3% | 0.2% |
| Electricity | 2.5% | -0.2% |
| Housing | 2.1% | 0.3% |
| Owners' equivalent rent | 2.0% | 0.2% |
| Rent of primary residence | 1.8% | 0.1% |
| Medical care | 1.8% | 0.1% |
| Shelter | 1.7% | 0.3% |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 1.6% | 0.4% |
| Education & communication | 1.5% | -0.3% |
| New vehicles | 1.5% | -0.1% |
| Recreation | 1.1% | 0.4% |
| College tuition and fees | 0.3% | -0.1% |
| Prescription drugs | -2.3% | 0.0% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | -2.5% | 0.9% |
| Apparel | -2.5% | 0.6% |
| Airline fares | -15.1% | -0.0% |
Recent months
| Month | CPI-U | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| October 2020 | 260.388 | 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.