Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food in U.S. City Average (CPIUFDSL)

Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food in U.S. City Average (FRED series CPIUFDSL) is a monthly economic indicator measured in index 1982-1984=100. The series is published through FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis economic database, with history going back to 1947. Values are seasonally adjusted, smoothing out predictable calendar effects so that underlying trends are easier to see.

Why it matters: Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food in U.S. City Average is one of the indicators traders, economists, and policymakers watch within the economic complex. Analysts use it to track conditions in the US economy and to anticipate shifts in growth, inflation, and policy.

How to read it: focus on the direction and persistence of changes rather than any single monthly print. Comparing the latest value against its level a year ago, and against its long-run range since 1947, gives a better sense of whether the series is signaling acceleration, deceleration, or a turning point.