CPI release
CPI report: March 2022
Consumer prices rose 8.5% in the 12 months through March 2022, up from 7.9% in February. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, ran 6.5%. The CPI-U index stood at 287.504, a 1.3% change from the prior month (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers
| Headline inflation (12-month) | 8.5% |
|---|---|
| Core inflation (12-month) | 6.5% |
| CPI-U index level | 287.504 |
| Change vs. prior month (NSA) | 1.3% |
What moved: inflation by category
Over the twelve months ending March 2022, prices rose fastest in gasoline (all types) (48.0%), used cars and trucks (35.3%), energy (32.0%).
| Category | 12-month rate | vs. prior month (NSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (all types) | 48.0% | 19.8% |
| Used cars and trucks | 35.3% | -1.8% |
| Energy | 32.0% | 11.4% |
| Airline fares | 23.6% | 9.7% |
| Transportation | 22.6% | 4.5% |
| Utility (piped) gas service | 21.6% | -0.4% |
| New vehicles | 12.5% | 0.0% |
| Electricity | 11.1% | 1.7% |
| Food at home | 10.0% | 1.5% |
| Food | 8.8% | 1.0% |
| Food away from home | 6.9% | 0.3% |
| Apparel | 6.8% | 0.8% |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.5% | 0.4% |
| Housing | 6.4% | 0.7% |
| Shelter | 5.0% | 0.6% |
| Recreation | 4.8% | 0.2% |
| Owners' equivalent rent | 4.5% | 0.4% |
| Rent of primary residence | 4.4% | 0.4% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | 4.2% | 0.8% |
| Medical care | 2.9% | 0.5% |
| Prescription drugs | 2.2% | -0.2% |
| College tuition and fees | 2.1% | -0.0% |
| Education & communication | 1.5% | -0.3% |
Recent months
| Month | CPI-U | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | 287.504 | 8.5% |
| 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% |
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.