CPI release
CPI report: May 2022
Consumer prices rose 8.6% in the 12 months through May 2022, up from 8.3% in April. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, ran 6.0%. The CPI-U index stood at 292.296, a 1.1% change from the prior month (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers
| Headline inflation (12-month) | 8.6% |
|---|---|
| Core inflation (12-month) | 6.0% |
| CPI-U index level | 292.296 |
| Change vs. prior month (NSA) | 1.1% |
What moved: inflation by category
Over the twelve months ending May 2022, prices rose fastest in gasoline (all types) (48.7%), airline fares (37.8%), energy (34.6%).
| Category | 12-month rate | vs. prior month (NSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (all types) | 48.7% | 7.8% |
| Airline fares | 37.8% | 16.1% |
| Energy | 34.6% | 6.1% |
| Utility (piped) gas service | 30.2% | 7.8% |
| Transportation | 19.4% | 2.8% |
| Used cars and trucks | 16.1% | 0.7% |
| New vehicles | 12.6% | 1.0% |
| Electricity | 12.0% | 1.9% |
| Food at home | 11.9% | 1.3% |
| Food | 10.1% | 1.1% |
| Food away from home | 7.4% | 0.7% |
| Housing | 6.9% | 0.9% |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 6.0% | 0.6% |
| Shelter | 5.5% | 0.6% |
| Rent of primary residence | 5.2% | 0.6% |
| Owners' equivalent rent | 5.1% | 0.6% |
| Apparel | 5.0% | -0.1% |
| Recreation | 4.5% | 0.4% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | 4.5% | 0.4% |
| Medical care | 3.7% | 0.4% |
| College tuition and fees | 2.1% | 0.0% |
| Prescription drugs | 1.9% | -0.1% |
| Education & communication | 0.8% | -0.1% |
Recent months
| Month | CPI-U | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|
| May 2022 | 292.296 | 8.6% |
| April 2022 | 289.109 | 8.3% |
| March 2022 | 287.504 | 8.5% |
| February 2022 | 283.716 | 7.9% |
| January 2022 | 281.148 | 7.5% |
| December 2021 | 278.802 | 7.0% |
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.