Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCSL)
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average — Historical Chart
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Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (FRED series CPIAUCSL) is a monthly inflation 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: All Items in U.S. City Average is one of the indicators traders, economists, and policymakers watch within the inflation complex. Investors and policymakers track it to gauge price pressures in the economy, since persistent moves feed directly into Federal Reserve rate decisions and real returns on assets.
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.
About This Series
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items (CPIAUCSL) is a price index of a basket of goods and services paid by urban consumers. Percent changes in the price index measure the inflation rate between any two time periods. The most common inflation metric is the percent change from one year ago. It can also represent the buying habits of urban consumers. This particular index includes roughly 88 percent of the total population, accounting for wage earners, clerical workers, technical workers, self-employed, short-term workers, unemployed, retirees, and those not in the labor force. The CPIs are based on prices for food, clothing, shelter, and fuels; transportation fares; service fees (e.g., water and sewer service); and sales taxes. Prices are collected monthly from about 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 retail establishments across 87 urban areas. To calculate the index, price changes are averaged with weights representing their importance in the spending of the particular group. The index measures price changes (as a percent change) from a predetermined reference date. In addition to the original unadjusted index distributed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also releases a seasonally adjusted index. The unadjusted series reflects all factors that may influence a change in prices. However, it can be very useful to look at the seasonally adjusted CPI, which removes the effects of seasonal changes, such as weather, school year, production cycles, and holidays. The CPI can be used to recognize periods of inflation and deflation. Significant increases in the CPI within a short time frame might indicate a period of inflation, and significant decreases in CPI within a short time frame might indicate a period of deflation. However, because the CPI includes volatile food and oil prices, it might not be a reliable measure of inflationary and deflationary periods. For a more accurate detection, the core CPI (CPILFESL (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPILFESL)) is often used. When using the CPI, please note that it is not applicable to all consumers and should not be used to determine relative living costs. Additionally, the CPI is a statistical measure vulnerable to sampling error since it is based on a sample of prices and not the complete average. For more information on the CPI, see the Handbook of Methods (https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/), the release notes and announcements (https://www.bls.gov/cpi/), and the Frequently Asked Questions (https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-and-answers.htm) (FAQs).
Recent Data
| Date | Value (Index 1982-1984=100) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2026 | 333.98 | +1.57 |
| April 1, 2026 | 332.41 | +2.11 |
| March 1, 2026 | 330.29 | +2.83 |
| February 1, 2026 | 327.46 | +0.87 |
| January 1, 2026 | 326.59 | +0.56 |
| December 1, 2025 | 326.03 | +0.97 |
| November 1, 2025 | 325.06 | +0.69 |
| September 1, 2025 | 324.37 | +1 |
| August 1, 2025 | 323.36 | +1.23 |
| July 1, 2025 | 322.13 | +0.63 |
| June 1, 2025 | 321.50 | +0.92 |
| May 1, 2025 | 320.58 | +0.26 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average today?
The latest value of Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCSL) is shown at the top of this page, along with its observation date and the change from the prior reading. Data is sourced from FRED and refreshed regularly.
How often is Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average updated?
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average is reported monthly (Monthly). New observations appear on FRED shortly after the source agency releases them, and this page updates daily.
What does a rising Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average mean?
A sustained rise in Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average signals strengthening readings in this inflation measure, in index 1982-1984=100. Whether that is positive or negative for markets depends on context — compare the move against the series’ trend and related indicators in the same category.
Where does the CPIAUCSL data come from?
The data comes from FRED® (Federal Reserve Economic Data), maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, under series ID CPIAUCSL. History is available back to 1947.
Related Inflation Indicators
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average336.12
- Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index130.9
- Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity, Quoted on an Investment Basis, Inflation-Indexed2.2
- Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 5-Year Constant Maturity, Quoted on an Investment Basis, Inflation-Indexed1.82
- 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate2.34
- 5-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate2.44
Data sourced from FRED®, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCSL). Retrieved from fred.stlouisfed.org. Last updated June 10, 2026.