The CPI index — the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — currently stands at 336.9 for Sep '26, +4.00% versus a year earlier and +0.59% versus the prior month.
CPI-U index (1982–84 = 100), not seasonally adjusted · latest Sep '26
Year-over-year % change in the CPI-U index, with Core CPI for comparison
CPI-U, not seasonally adjusted · latest release Sep '26
| Month | CPI index level | Year over year |
|---|---|---|
| Sep '26 | 336.9 | +4.00% |
| Aug '26 | 335.0 | +3.69% |
| Jul '26 | 333.9 | +3.52% |
| Jun '26 | 334.0 | +3.88% |
| May '26 | 335.1 | +4.47% |
| Apr '26 | 333.0 | +4.13% |
| Mar '26 | 330.2 | +3.49% |
| Feb '26 | 326.8 | +2.87% |
| Jan '26 | 325.3 | +3.06% |
| Dec '25 | 324.1 | +2.71% |
| Nov '25 | 324.1 | +2.68% |
| Sep '25 | 324.8 | +3.01% |
The CPI index measures the average price level of a fixed basket of goods and services bought by urban households — housing, food, energy, transportation, medical care, education and more. It is published as an index number rather than a dollar amount: 1982–1984 average prices equal 100. An index of 320 means prices are roughly 3.2 times their early-1980s level.
Inflation is the percentage change in the index. Year-over-year inflation compares this month's index with the same month a year earlier; month-over-month compares it with the prior month. CPI Monitor computes both from the published index levels, so any figure here can be checked against the original series.
The CPI-U index covers all urban consumers and is the headline number quoted in the news. CPI-W covers urban wage earners and clerical workers and drives Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. Chained C-CPI-U allows for households substituting between goods as relative prices change, so it usually rises slightly more slowly. Core CPI removes food and energy from the basket.
The BLS releases the CPI once a month, usually mid-month at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, covering the previous month. This page re-checks the published series automatically, so the index level and inflation rate above change on their own when a new release lands.