CPI release
CPI report: October 2021
Consumer prices rose 6.2% in the 12 months through October 2021, up from 5.4% in September. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, ran 4.6%. The CPI-U index stood at 276.589, a 0.8% change from the prior month (not seasonally adjusted).
The numbers
| Headline inflation (12-month) | 6.2% |
|---|---|
| Core inflation (12-month) | 4.6% |
| CPI-U index level | 276.589 |
| Change vs. prior month (NSA) | 0.8% |
What moved: inflation by category
Over the twelve months ending October 2021, prices rose fastest in gasoline (all types) (49.6%), energy (30.0%), utility (piped) gas service (28.1%), while airline fares prices fell (-4.6%).
| Category | 12-month rate | vs. prior month (NSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (all types) | 49.6% | 3.7% |
| Energy | 30.0% | 2.9% |
| Utility (piped) gas service | 28.1% | 6.5% |
| Used cars and trucks | 26.4% | 2.6% |
| Transportation | 18.7% | 2.0% |
| New vehicles | 9.8% | 1.4% |
| Electricity | 6.5% | -0.1% |
| Motor vehicle insurance | 6.3% | -0.3% |
| Food at home | 5.4% | 1.1% |
| Food | 5.3% | 1.0% |
| Food away from home | 5.3% | 0.8% |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 4.6% | 0.6% |
| Housing | 4.5% | 0.6% |
| Apparel | 4.3% | 0.7% |
| Recreation | 3.9% | 0.7% |
| Shelter | 3.5% | 0.4% |
| Owners' equivalent rent | 3.1% | 0.5% |
| Rent of primary residence | 2.7% | 0.5% |
| College tuition and fees | 1.8% | 0.2% |
| Education & communication | 1.8% | 0.1% |
| Medical care | 1.3% | 0.5% |
| Prescription drugs | -0.7% | 0.5% |
| Airline fares | -4.6% | 3.5% |
Recent months
| Month | CPI-U | 12-month rate |
|---|---|---|
| October 2021 | 276.589 | 6.2% |
| September 2021 | 274.31 | 5.4% |
| August 2021 | 273.567 | 5.3% |
| July 2021 | 273.003 | 5.4% |
| June 2021 | 271.696 | 5.4% |
| May 2021 | 269.195 | 5.0% |
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.