CPI release
CPI report: May 2025
Consumer prices rose 2.4% in the 12 months through May 2025, holding steady from 2.3% in April. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, ran 2.8%. The CPI-U index stood at 321.465, a 0.2% change from the prior month (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers
| Headline inflation (12-month) | 2.4% |
|---|---|
| Core inflation (12-month) | 2.8% |
| CPI-U index level | 321.465 |
| Change vs. prior month (NSA) | 0.2% |
What moved: inflation by category
Over the twelve months ending May 2025, prices rose fastest in utility (piped) gas service (15.3%), motor vehicle insurance (7.0%), electricity (4.5%), while gasoline (all types) prices fell (-12.0%).
| Category | 12-month rate | vs. prior month (NSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Utility (piped) gas service | 15.3% | -0.2% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | 7.0% | 0.3% |
| Electricity | 4.5% | 1.2% |
| Owners' equivalent rent | 4.2% | 0.3% |
| Housing | 4.0% | 0.3% |
| Shelter | 3.9% | 0.3% |
| Food away from home | 3.8% | 0.3% |
| Rent of primary residence | 3.8% | 0.2% |
| Food | 2.9% | 0.3% |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.8% | 0.2% |
| Medical care | 2.5% | 0.2% |
| College tuition and fees | 2.3% | 0.0% |
| Food at home | 2.2% | 0.2% |
| Recreation | 1.8% | 0.0% |
| Used cars and trucks | 1.8% | 0.7% |
| Prescription drugs | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| New vehicles | 0.4% | -0.0% |
| Education & communication | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Apparel | -0.9% | -1.0% |
| Transportation | -1.3% | 0.2% |
| Energy | -3.5% | 0.1% |
| Airline fares | -7.3% | 1.8% |
| Gasoline (all types) | -12.0% | -0.7% |
Recent months
| Month | CPI-U | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | 321.465 | 2.4% |
| April 2025 | 320.795 | 2.3% |
| March 2025 | 319.799 | 2.4% |
| February 2025 | 319.082 | 2.8% |
| January 2025 | 317.671 | 3.0% |
| December 2024 | 315.605 | 2.9% |
Put it in context
- The current inflation rate, to check whether this is still the latest reading
- What 2024 dollars are worth in 2025, the year-over-year conversion
- 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.