Consumer Prices Ticked Up 0.1% in July

Washington, DC, August 11, 2017-The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1% in July on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported.

Over the last 12 months, the all items index rose 1.7%.

The indexes for shelter, medical care, and food all rose in July, leading to the seasonally adjusted increase in the all items index. The energy index declined slightly in July, with its major component indexes mixed. The index for natural gas declined, while the electricity index rose and the gasoline index was unchanged. The food index increased 0.2%, with the indexes for food at home and food away from home both rising.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1%, the fourth month in a row it increased by that amount. The indexes for shelter, medical care, recreation, apparel, motor vehicle insurance, and airline fares all rose in July. These increases more than offset declines in the indexes for new vehicles, communication, used cars and trucks, and household furnishings and operations.

The all items index rose 1.7% for the 12 months ending July, a slightly larger increase than for the 12 months ending June. The index for all items less food and energy also rose 1.7% for the 12 month period, the same increase as for the 12 months ending May and June. The energy index rose 3.4% over the last year, while the food index increased 1.1%.