May 2025 Consumer Price Index

Historical release narrative reproduced from the official public-domain source. Statistical tables, standard technical appendices, administrative material and attendance rosters are omitted; formatting is adapted for reading. Figures retain the release's historical context and may have been revised. Consult the linked source for the complete document.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in May, after rising 0.2 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.4 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The index for shelter rose 0.3 percent in May and was the primary factor in the all items monthly increase. The food index increased 0.3 percent as both of its major components, the index for food at home and the index for food away from home also rose 0.3 percent in May. In contrast, the energy index declined 1.0 percent in May as the gasoline index fell over the month.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in May, following a 0.2-percent increase in April. Indexes that increased over the month include medical care, motor vehicle insurance, household furnishings and operations, personal care, and education. The indexes for airline fares, used cars and trucks, new vehicles, and apparel were among the major indexes that decreased in May.

The all items index rose 2.4 percent for the 12 months ending May, after rising 2.3 percent over the 12 months ending April. The all items less food and energy index rose 2.8 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index decreased 3.5 percent for the 12 months ending May. The food index increased 2.9 percent over the last year.

Food

The index for food increased 0.3 percent in May, after falling 0.1 percent in April. The food at home index also rose 0.3 percent over the month. Three of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in May, while the other three declined. The index for other food at home rose 0.7 percent in May, after falling 0.1 percent in April. The cereals and bakery products index rose 1.1 percent over the month and the fruits and vegetables index rose 0.3 percent.

In contrast, the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs fell 0.4 percent in May as the index for eggs decreased 2.7 percent. The nonalcoholic beverages index declined 0.3 percent over the month and the dairy and related products index decreased 0.1 percent.

The food away from home index rose 0.3 percent in May. The index for full service meals rose 0.3 percent over the month and the index for limited service meals also increased 0.3 percent.

The index for food at home rose 2.2 percent over the 12 months ending in May. The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index rose 6.1 percent over the last 12 months as the eggs index increased 41.5 percent. The index for other food at home increased 1.4 percent over the same period, while the index for nonalcoholic beverages rose 3.1 percent. The dairy and related products index increased 1.7 percent over the 12 months ending in May and the cereals and bakery products index rose 1.0 percent over the year. In contrast, the index for fruits and vegetables decreased 0.5 percent over the same period.

The food away from home index rose 3.8 percent over the last year. The index for full service meals rose 4.2 percent and the index for limited service meals rose 3.5 percent over the same period.

Energy

The index for energy decreased 1.0 percent in May, after rising 0.7 percent in April. The gasoline index decreased 2.6 percent over the month. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices decreased 0.7 percent in May.) The index for natural gas decreased 1.0 percent over the month, while the index for electricity increased 0.9 percent over the same period.

The energy index decreased 3.5 percent over the past 12 months. The gasoline index fell 12.0 percent over this 12-month span and the fuel oil index fell 8.6 percent over the same period. In contrast, the index for electricity increased 4.5 percent over the last 12 months and the index for natural gas rose 15.3 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in May, following a 0.2-percent increase in April. The shelter index increased 0.3 percent over the month. The index for owners' equivalent rent rose 0.3 percent in May and the index for rent increased 0.2 percent. The lodging away from home index fell 0.1 percent in May.

The medical care index increased 0.3 percent over the month, following a 0.5-percent increase in April. The index for hospital services increased 0.4 percent in May and the index for prescription drugs rose 0.6 percent. The physicians' services index fell 0.3 percent over the month.

The motor vehicle insurance index rose 0.7 percent in May, after rising 0.6 percent in April. The index for household furnishings and operations increased 0.3 percent over the month. The personal care index increased 0.5 percent in May, and the education index rose 0.3 percent. In contrast, the index for airline fares fell 2.7 percent in May, after declining 2.8 percent in April. The used cars and trucks index fell 0.5 percent over the month, and the new vehicles index (-0.3 percent) and apparel index (-0.4 percent) also declined.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent over the past 12 months. The shelter index increased 3.9 percent over the last year. Other indexes with notable increases over the last year include medical care (+2.5 percent), motor vehicle insurance (+7.0 percent), household furnishings and operations (+2.7 percent), and recreation (+1.8 percent).

Not seasonally adjusted CPI measures

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 2.4 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 321.465 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 0.2 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 2.2 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 314.839 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 0.2 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.

The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 2.1 percent over the last 12 months. For the month, the index increased 0.2 percent on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Please note that the indexes for the past 10 to 12 months are subject to revision.

Rebasing of selected Consumer Price Index series

With the publication of July 2025 data on August 12, 2025, several CPI series will be rebased to December 2024 = 100. When new base years are introduced, BLS recalculates each index back to the beginning of that series to ensure continuity. A complete list of indexes to be rebased is available at www.bls.gov/cpi/additional-resources/rebased-series.htm.

Changes to wireless telephone services source data and methodology

With the release of July 2025 data on August 12, 2025, BLS will replace the survey data collected for the CPI's wireless telephone services index with secondary source data and non-traditional index methods.

A paper on "Use of alternative data and methods in the CPI for wireless telephone services" will be posted to our website on July 15, 2025, and a new factsheet "Measuring Price Change in the CPI: Wireless Telephone Services" will be posted to our website on August 11, 2025.