April 2026 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 0.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in April, after rising 0.9 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.8 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The index for energy rose 3.8 percent in April, accounting for over forty percent of the monthly all items increase. The shelter index also increased in April, rising 0.6 percent. The index for food increased 0.5 percent over the month as the index for food at home rose 0.7 percent and the index for food away from home increased 0.2 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in April. Indexes that increased over the month include household furnishings and operations, airline fares, personal care, apparel, and education. Conversely, the indexes for new vehicles, communication, and medical care were among the major indexes that decreased in April.

The all items index rose 3.8 percent for the 12 months ending April, after rising 3.3 percent for the 12 months ending March. The all items less food and energy index rose 2.8 percent over the year, following a 2.6 percent increase over the 12 months ending March. The energy index increased 17.9 percent for the 12 months ending April. The food index increased 3.2 percent over the last year.

Food

The index for food rose 0.5 percent in April after being unchanged in March. The food at home index increased 0.7 percent over the month. Five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in April. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 1.3 percent over the month as the index for beef rose 2.7 percent. The fruits and vegetables index increased 1.8 percent in April and the nonalcoholic beverages index rose 1.1 percent. The index for dairy and related products increased 0.8 percent over the month and the index for cereals and bakery products rose 0.1 percent in April.

In contrast, the index for other food at home fell 0.4 percent in April after being unchanged in March.

The food away from home index rose 0.2 percent in April. The index for limited service meals rose 0.4 percent over the month and the index for full service meals rose 0.1 percent.

The index for food at home rose 2.9 percent over the 12 months ending in April. The fruits and vegetables index rose 6.1 percent over the last 12 months. The index for other food at home increased 2.5 percent over the same period and the index for nonalcoholic beverages rose 5.1 percent. The cereals and bakery products index increased 2.6 percent over the 12 months ending in April and the meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index rose 1.5 percent over the same period. In contrast, the index for dairy and related products fell 0.6 percent over the year.

The food away from home index rose 3.6 percent over the last year. The index for full service meals rose 3.8 percent and the index for limited service meals rose 3.2 percent over the same period.

Energy

The index for energy increased 3.8 percent in April, after rising 10.9 percent in March. The gasoline index increased 5.4 percent over the month. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices increased 11.1 percent in April.) The index for electricity rose 2.1 percent in April. The fuel oil index increased 5.8 percent over the month. Conversely, the index for natural gas decreased 0.1 percent over the same period.

The index for energy increased 17.9 percent over the past 12 months and the index for gasoline rose 28.4 percent. The electricity index increased 6.1 percent over the last 12 months ending in April and the natural gas index rose 3.0 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent in April, after rising 0.2 percent in each of the 2 preceding months. The shelter index increased 0.6 percent over the month. The index for owners' equivalent rent and the index for rent both increased 0.5 percent in April. The lodging away from home index rose 2.4 percent over the month.

The index for household furnishings and operations increased 0.7 percent over the month, after rising 0.2 percent in March. The airline fares index rose 2.8 percent in April and the personal care index rose 0.7 percent. The index for apparel rose 0.6 percent over the month and the index for education rose 0.2 percent in April. The recreation index and the motor vehicle insurance index each increased 0.1 percent in April.

The new vehicles index and the communication index each declined 0.2 percent in April. The index for used cars and trucks was unchanged over the month.

The medical care index decreased 0.1 percent in April, after falling 0.2 percent in March. The index for hospital services decreased 0.3 percent over the month. Conversely, the physicians' services index increased 0.6 percent over the month while the prescription drugs index was unchanged in April.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent over the past 12 months. The shelter index increased 3.3 percent over the last year. Other indexes with notable increases over the last year include medical care (+2.5 percent), airline fares (+20.7 percent), household furnishings and operations (+3.9 percent), and recreation (+2.3 percent).

Not seasonally adjusted CPI measures

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 3.8 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 333.020 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 0.9 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 3.9 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 326.541 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index increased 0.9 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.

The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 3.6 percent over the last 12 months. For the month, the index increased 0.8 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

Effective with this release, several CPI series were 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 that were rebased is available at www.bls.gov/cpi/additional-resources/rebased-series.htm