The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in January on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.6 percent before seasonal adjustment.

Increases in indexes for energy commodities and for food accounted for over two thirds of the all items increase. The indexes for gasoline and fuel oil both increased in January, continuing their recent strong upward trend. The index for food at home posted its largest increase in over two years with all six major grocery store food group indexes rising.

The index for all items less food and energy also rose in January. The indexes for apparel, shelter, airline fares, and recreation all posted increases. In contrast, the indexes for new vehicles and for used cars and trucks declined in January.

Over the last 12 months, the food index has risen 1.8 percent with the food at home index up 2.1 percent; both 12-month changes are the highest since 2009. The energy index has increased 7.3 percent over the last 12 months, with the gasoline index up 13.4 percent. The index for all items less food and energy has risen 1.0 percent.

Consumer Price Index Data for January 2011

Food

The food index rose 0.5 percent in January. The food at home index increased 0.7 percent, the largest increase since 2008. All six major grocery store food groups posted increases. The index for nonalcoholic beverages increased the most, rising 1.5 percent, with the indexes for carbonated drinks and coffee both rising sharply. The fruits and vegetables index increased 1.3 percent with the index for fresh vegetables up 2.1 percent. The indexes for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs and for cereals and bakery products increased 0.9 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively. The indexes for dairy and related products and for other food at home posted slight increases. Over the past 12 months, the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs has risen 6.2 percent with the other grocery store food group indexes posting smaller increases. The index for food away from home rose 0.2 percent in January and has risen 1.5 percent over the past 12 months.

Energy

The energy index continued its recent string of increases, rising 2.1 percent in January. The gasoline index rose 3.5 percent and has increased seven months in a row. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices rose 3.8 percent in January.) The index for household energy declined in January, falling 0.2 percent. A 6.8 percent increase in the index for fuel oil was more than offset by a 1.2 percent decrease in the natural gas index and a 0.5 percent decline in the electricity index. The indexes for gasoline and fuel oil have risen significantly over the last 12 months, but the index for natural gas has declined 6.4 percent.


All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in January after increasing 0.1 percent in each of the previous two months. The shelter index rose 0.1 percent in January, with the rent index increasing 0.2 percent and the index for owners' equivalent rent rising 0.1 percent. The apparel index, which increased 0.1 percent in December, rose 1.0 percent in January. The index for airline fares increased for the fifth month in a row, rising 2.2 percent in January. The medical care index rose slightly, edging up 0.1 percent, with the medical care commodities index increasing 0.5 percent while the index for medical care services declined 0.1 percent. The recreation index turned up in January, rising 0.2 percent after declining 0.2 percent in December, as did the index for household furnishings and operations, which increased 0.1 percent in January after declining in each of the four prior months. In contrast to these increases, the index for new vehicles fell 0.1 percent in January and the index for used cars and trucks declined 0.3 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.0 percent over the last 12 months. The shelter index has gone up 0.6 percent over that time period with the rent index up 1.0 percent. The index for airline fares has risen 9.8 percent and the indexes for medical care, for used cars and trucks, and for tobacco also increased. The apparel index is unchanged from a year ago, while the indexes for household furnishings and operations and for recreation have declined.

Not seasonally adjusted CPI measures

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1.6 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 220.223 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 0.5 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 1.8 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 216.400 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index rose 0.5 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.

The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 1.4 percent over the last 12 months. For the month, the index increased 0.5 percent on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Please note that the indexes for the post-2009 period are subject to revision.

The Consumer Price Index for February 2011 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, March 17, 2011, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT).

Effective with this release of CPI data, the following series have been re-titled:
- Recreation services has become Other recreation services
- Gas (piped) and electricity has become Energy services
- Canned fish and seafood has become Shelf stable fish and seafood

The Recreation services index did not include all services under the major group Recreation, specifically video and audio related services, pet services, and photography and film services are excluded. The new title, Other recreation services, reflects these exclusions.

Gas (piped) and electricity has been presented as Energy services in Table A of the CPI News Release since August 2009. At that time, the format text of the News Release was updated to focus on Food, Energy, and All items less food and energy instead of the major groups (Food, Housing, Apparel, Transportation, Medical care, Education and communication, Recreation, and Other goods and services). The title has been changed in the remainder of the publication tables in January 2011 to improve consistency.

The title for Canned fish and seafood has changed to Shelf stable fish and seafood to better reflect current packaging methods.

Revised seasonally adjusted changes Over-the-month percent changes in the U.S. City Average Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for All Items and for All Items less food and energy, seasonally adjusted, using former and recalculated seasonal factors for 2010.

C-CPI-U Index Revisions

As scheduled, effective with release of data for January 2011, the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) has undergone its annual revision. Because the current expenditure data required for the calculation of the C-CPI-U are available only with a time lag, the index is issued first in preliminary form, using the latest available expenditure data at the time of publication, and is subject to two subsequent revisions. Therefore, C-CPI-U indexes for the 12 months of 2009 will be issued in final form - employing monthly expenditure weights from 2009. Values for the 12 months of 2010 will be revised and issued as interim, using expenditure weights from the 2007-2008 period. Calculation of the initial value of the January 2011 C-CPI-U index, and all subsequent months in 2011, will also be based upon 2007-2008 expenditure weights.