March 2011 Consumer Price Index

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The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.5 percent in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.7 percent before seasonal adjustment.

Gasoline and food prices continued to rise and together accounted for almost three quarters of the seasonally adjusted all items increase in March. The gasoline index posted its ninth consecutive increase and has now risen 14.4 percent over the last three months. The household energy index rose as well, with advances in the fuel oil and electricity indexes more than offsetting a decline in the index for natural gas. The food at home index continued to accelerate in March, rising 1.1 percent as all six major grocery store food groups increased.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in March, a smaller increase than in the previous two months. The index for shelter rose slightly, as did the index for medical care. Several transportation indexes posted significant increases, including new vehicles, used cars and trucks, and airline fares. In contrast, the indexes for apparel and for household furnishings and operations both declined in March.

The all items index rose 2.7 percent in the last 12 months, the largest increase since December 2009. The energy index has now risen 15.5 percent over the last 12 months, with the gasoline index up 27.5 percent. The food index has risen 2.9 percent with the food at home index up 3.6 percent. The index for all items less food and energy has increased 1.2 percent with the shelter index up 0.9 percent.

Seasonally adjusted changes from preceding month Un- adjusted 12-mos. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. ended 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011 2011 2011 Mar. 2011

Consumer Price Index Data for March 2011

Food

The food index rose 0.8 percent in March after rising 0.6 percent in February. The food at home index increased 1.1 percent in March and has risen 2.7 percent over the past three months. All six major grocery store food groups increased in March, with increases ranging from 0.5 percent for cereals and bakery products to 1.9 percent for fruits and vegetables. Within the fruits and vegetables component, the fresh vegetables index rose 4.7 percent in March after a 6.7 percent increase in February, as indexes for potatoes, lettuce, and tomatoes all posted significant increases. The index for dairy and related products increased 1.3 percent, while the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.1 percent. The index for nonalcoholic beverages increased 0.8 percent as the coffee index climbed 3.5 percent. Over the past 12 months, the index for food at home has risen 3.6 percent with the index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs up 7.9 percent. The index for food away from home increased 0.3 percent in March, its largest increase since September, and has risen 1.9 percent over the past 12 months.

Energy

The energy index rose 3.5 percent in March after increasing 3.4 percent in February. It has increased for nine months in a row, rising 23.7 percent since June 2010. The gasoline index rose 5.6 percent in March after a 4.7 percent increase in February. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices rose 11.7 percent in March.) The index for household energy advanced 0.6 percent in March after a 1.3 percent increase in February. The fuel oil index rose 6.2 percent and has increased 37.2 percent in the last six months. The index for electricity increased 0.7 percent in March, while the index for natural gas declined 1.4 percent. The household energy index has risen 1.2 percent over the last 12 months, with the fuel oil index up 34.0 percent and the electricity index up 1.0 percent but the index for natural gas down 5.5 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in March after increasing 0.2 percent in each of the previous two months. The shelter index increased 0.1 percent for the sixth month in a row, with rent and owners' equivalent rent both increasing 0.1 percent in March, as they did in February. Several transportation indexes increased in March; the new vehicles index rose 0.7 percent after a 1.0 percent increase in February, and the index for used cars and trucks rose 0.8 percent. The airline fares index also continued to rise, increasing 1.9 percent. The medical care index increased 0.2 percent in March after a 0.4 percent increase in February, with the medical care commodities index rising 0.5 percent and the index for medical care services advancing 0.1 percent. The recreation index was unchanged in March after a 0.3 percent increase in February, while several indexes posted declines in March. The apparel index fell 0.5 percent after a 0.9 percent decrease in February. The index for household furnishings and operations turned down in March, falling 0.1 percent after rising by that amount in February. Similarly, the index for personal care fell 0.2 percent in March after rising in each of the previous two months.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.2 percent over the last 12 months. This change is above the low of 0.6 percent in October, but is still below the 1.9 percent average over the last 10 years. The indexes for shelter, new vehicles, used cars and trucks, airline fares, and medical care are among those that have increased over the past year; the indexes for apparel, household furnishings and operations, and recreation have declined.

Not seasonally adjusted CPI measures

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 2.7 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 223.467 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 1.0 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 3.0 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 220.024 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index rose 1.1 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.

The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 2.5 percent over the last 12 months. For the month, the index increased 0.9 percent on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Please note that the indexes for the post-2009 period are subject to revision.

Corrections to CPI data for January and February 2011

Incorrect prices were used in the calculation of the intracity transportation index, affecting the data for January and February 2011. The January and February news releases have been reissued with corrected data. The corrections affect indexes in Table 7 of the release and are noted in the footnotes of that table in this release.

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