CPI release
CPI report: May 2021
Consumer prices rose 5.0% in the 12 months through May 2021, up from 4.2% in April. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, ran 3.8%. The CPI-U index stood at 269.195, a 0.8% change from the prior month (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers
| Headline inflation (12-month) | 5.0% |
|---|---|
| Core inflation (12-month) | 3.8% |
| CPI-U index level | 269.195 |
| Change vs. prior month (NSA) | 0.8% |
What moved: inflation by category
Over the twelve months ending May 2021, prices rose fastest in gasoline (all types) (56.2%), used cars and trucks (29.7%), energy (28.5%), while prescription drugs prices fell (-2.1%).
| Category | 12-month rate | vs. prior month (NSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (all types) | 56.2% | 4.2% |
| Used cars and trucks | 29.7% | 6.5% |
| Energy | 28.5% | 2.7% |
| Airline fares | 24.1% | 12.2% |
| Transportation | 20.0% | 3.2% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | 16.9% | 0.3% |
| Utility (piped) gas service | 13.5% | 1.6% |
| Apparel | 5.6% | 0.2% |
| Electricity | 4.2% | 1.1% |
| Food away from home | 4.0% | 0.6% |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 3.8% | 0.7% |
| New vehicles | 3.3% | 1.5% |
| Housing | 2.9% | 0.5% |
| Shelter | 2.2% | 0.3% |
| Food | 2.2% | 0.4% |
| Owners' equivalent rent | 2.1% | 0.3% |
| Education & communication | 1.9% | 0.2% |
| Rent of primary residence | 1.8% | 0.2% |
| Recreation | 1.6% | 0.2% |
| Medical care | 0.9% | -0.1% |
| Food at home | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| College tuition and fees | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Prescription drugs | -2.1% | -0.3% |
Recent months
| Month | CPI-U | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | 269.195 | 5.0% |
| 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% |
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.