Consumer Price Index (CPI)

The CPI is the most widely used measure of inflation and is often referred to as the cost of living index. It measures changes over time in the price of a fixed market basket of goods and services. There are two indexes. The CPI-U covers the expenditures of a wide range of urban consumers; the CPI-W covers only the expenditures of urban wages earners and clerical workers.

U.S. Consumer Price Index 1981 - present
 IndexesPercent change from
 September 2024August 2024September 2023August 2024September 2023
U.S. city average (not seasonally adjusted)315.301314.796307.7890.2%2.4%
U.S. city average (seasonally adjusted)314.686314.121307.2880.2%2.4%
(All items, urban consumers, 1982-84 = 100)
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