Consumer Prices Rose 0.3% in September

Washington, DC, October 18, 2016—The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3% in September on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported.

Over the last 12 months, the all items index rose 1.5% before seasonal adjustment.

Increases in the shelter and gasoline indexes were the main causes of the rise in the all items index. The gasoline index rose 5.8% in September and accounted for more than half of the all items increase. The shelter index increased 0.4%, its largest increase since May.

The energy index increased 2.9%, its largest advance since April. Along with the gasoline index, other energy component indexes also rose. The index for food, in contrast, was unchanged for the third consecutive month, as the food at home index continued to decline.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1% in September after a 0.3% increase in August. Along with the shelter index, the indexes for medical care, motor vehicle insurance, and personal care all increased in September, as did the indexes for education, alcoholic beverages, airline fares, and tobacco. The indexes for communication, apparel, used cars and trucks, recreation, and new vehicles all declined.  

The all items index rose 1.5% for the 12 months ending September, its largest 12-month increase since October 2014. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.2% for the 12 months ending September.
The food index declined 0.3% over the span, and the energy index fell 2.9%.