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CPI Month-Over-Month -0.1 Percent, Year-Over-Year +2.4 Percent

By Kurt Osterberg · On April 11, 2018

Month-over-month the CPI fell 0.1%. Year-over-year, vs. easy comparisons, the CPI rose 2.4%. Treasury reaction: big yawn.

A decline in gasoline prices pushed the Consumer Price Index Survey into negative territory for March.

CPI Month-Over-Month Key Points

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.1 percent in March on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.2 percent in February.

A decline in the gasoline index more than outweighed increases in the indexes for shelter, medical care, and food to result in the slight seasonally adjusted decline in the all items index. The energy index fell sharply due mainly to the 4.9-percent decrease in the gasoline index.

The index for food rose 0.1 percent over the month, with the indexes for food at home and food away from home both increasing. The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.2 percent in March, the same increase as in February.

Along with shelter and medical care, the indexes for personal care, motor vehicle insurance, and airline fares all rose.

The indexes for apparel, for communication, and for used cars and trucks all declined over the month.

CPI Year-Over-Year Key Points

The all items index rose 2.4 percent for the 12 months ending March, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending March 2017 and higher than the 1.6-percent average annual rate over the past 10 years.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.1 percent, its largest 12-month increase since the period ending February 2017.

The energy index increased 7.0 percent over the past 12 months.

The food index advanced 1.3 percent over the past 12 months.

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