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Consumer prices rose 1.5 percent from March 2019 to March 2020; energy prices down 5.7 percent

April 16, 2020

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 1.5 percent from March 2019 to March 2020. That was a notably smaller increase than the 2.3-percent increase for the period ending February 2020. Consumer prices for energy fell 5.7 percent from March 2019 to March 2020, as gasoline prices declined 10.2 percent.

12-month percent change, Consumer Price Index, selected categories, March 2020
Category 12-month percent change

All items

1.5%

Food

1.9

Food at home

1.1

Cereals and bakery products

0.1

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

2.3

Dairy and related products

3.7

Fruits and vegetables

-1.9

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

1.4

Other food at home

1.4

Food away from home

3.0

Full service meals and snacks

3.2

Limited service meals and snacks

2.8

Energy

-5.7

Energy commodities

-10.4

Fuel oil

-20.1

Gasoline (all types)

-10.2

Energy services

-0.5

Electricity

0.2

Natural gas (piped)

-2.9

All items less food and energy

2.1

Commodities less food and energy commodities

-0.2

Apparel

-1.6

New vehicles

-0.4

Used cars and trucks

0.1

Medical care commodities

1.3

Alcoholic beverages

1.4

Tobacco and smoking products

5.4

Services less energy services

2.8

Shelter

3.0

Rent of primary residence

3.7

Lodging away from home

-6.4

Owners' equivalent rent of residences

3.2

Medical care services

5.5

Physicians' services

1.4

Hospital services

4.4

Transportation services

-0.7

Motor vehicle maintenance and repair

3.4

Motor vehicle insurance

1.1

Airline fares

-10.6

Prices declined 10.6 percent for airline fares and 6.4 percent for lodging away from home over the 12 months ended March 2020. Apparel prices fell 1.6 percent, while food prices rose 1.9 percent. Consumer prices for all items less food and energy rose 2.1 percent from March 2019 to March 2020.

These data are from the Consumer Price Index program and are not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see "Consumer Price Index — March 2020." See the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Consumer Price Index data for March 2020. We also have more charts on consumer prices.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Consumer prices rose 1.5 percent from March 2019 to March 2020; energy prices down 5.7 percent at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/consumer-prices-rose-1-5-percent-from-march-2019-to-march-2020-energy-prices-down-5-7-percent.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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