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News Release Information

21-63-PHI
Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – December 2020

Regional prices up 0.2 percent over the month; up 1.4 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast edged up 0.2 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Frank Waligorski noted that the recent increase reflected a rise in the energy index, up 3.3 percent since November. The food index also increased over the month, up 0.8 percent, while the all items less food and energy index inched down 0.1 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the Northeast all items CPI-U increased 1.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) This reflected an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 1.6 percent. The food index also rose, up 4.0 percent, while the energy index fell 5.9 percent since December 2019. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index increased 0.8 percent since November. Prices were higher for both food away from home and food at home, up 0.9 and 0.6 percent, respectively.

From December 2019 to December 2020, the food index increased 4.0 percent. Prices for food at home increased over the year, up 3.8 percent; those for food away from home also rose, up 4.3 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, rose 3.3 percent in December, led by a 3.7-percent advance in gasoline prices. Prices were also higher for electricity (2.4 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (1.4 percent) over the month.

The energy index fell 5.9 percent since December 2019. The decrease reflected a drop in prices for gasoline (-12.8 percent). Prices for utility (piped) gas service also decreased over the year, down 0.1 percent, while those for electricity increased 3.7 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched down 0.1 percent over the month. Price decreases for new and used motor vehicles (-0.8 percent), apparel (-1.5 percent), and medical care (-0.3 percent) were moderated by higher prices for household furnishings and operations (1.9 percent) and other goods and services (1.5 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.6 percent since December 2019, led by higher prices for shelter and new and used motor vehicles, up 1.9 and 3.6 percent, respectively. Prices also increased for recreation (2.0 percent) and education and communication (1.3 percent) over the year.

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20162017201820192020
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.00.70.62.50.51.60.31.50.72.3

February

0.20.70.32.60.41.70.21.30.32.4

March

0.20.6-0.12.20.12.00.51.7-0.21.7

April

0.61.00.31.90.42.10.41.7-0.40.8

May

0.30.90.11.70.42.50.31.50.00.6

June

0.20.70.01.50.02.60.11.60.30.8

July

0.00.8-0.21.30.02.70.11.70.41.1

August

0.11.00.31.60.22.70.11.50.11.1

September

0.21.30.51.90.12.20.01.40.11.2

October

0.21.6-0.11.5-0.12.3-0.11.5-0.21.1

November

0.01.60.01.6-0.41.90.11.90.11.1

December

0.01.90.11.7-0.11.7-0.11.90.21.4
Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U increased in the New England division, up 0.3 percent, and the Middle Atlantic division, up 0.2 percent.

Over the year, prices rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 1.6 percent. The all items index also rose in the New England division (0.8 percent). (See table B.)

 Table B. CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, Northeast region and divisions, not seasonally adjusted
Area1-month change12-month change

Northeast

0.21.4

New England Division

0.30.8

Middle Atlantic Division

0.21.6

The Consumer Price Index for January 2021 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, February 10, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on December 2020 Consumer Price Index Data

Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit were collected either online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in December was affected by the temporary closing or limited operations of certain types of establishments. These factors resulted in an increase in the number of prices considered temporarily unavailable and imputed.

While the CPI program attempted to collect as much data as possible, many indexes are based on smaller amounts of collected prices than usual, and a small number of indexes that are normally published were not published this month. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-price-index.htm.


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measures of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 93 percent of the total U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 75 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 retail establishments—department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000.  Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Northeast region is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The New England division is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Middle Atlantic division is comprised of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Northeast Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
Historical
data
Oct.
2020
Nov.
2020
Dec.
2020
Dec.
2019
Oct.
2020
Nov.
2020

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0
273.374273.543274.2251.40.30.2

All items (December 1977 = 100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100AA0
430.481430.747431.820   

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF
274.419274.106276.1144.00.60.7

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF1
275.072274.706276.7954.00.60.8

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF11
259.598258.979260.5813.80.40.6

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF111
306.610304.567307.1982.40.20.9

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF112
267.170264.874267.2445.30.00.9

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFJ
236.485237.381238.6502.90.90.5

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF113
324.559326.677327.6245.00.90.3

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF114
179.406176.107178.3282.5-0.61.3

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF115
229.788230.672231.1793.10.60.2

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFV
301.677301.705304.5704.31.00.9

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF116
264.979265.376266.2963.90.50.3

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH
292.539293.678294.9921.90.80.4

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH1
366.774367.346367.3931.90.20.0

Rent of primary residence

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHA
371.893372.793372.6901.80.20.0

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC
381.675382.354382.1692.10.10.0

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC01
381.338382.014381.8402.10.10.0

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH2
218.026223.098228.6350.14.92.5

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH21
188.983194.052199.844-0.65.73.0

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF
193.263198.393202.5642.54.82.1

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF01
201.876202.066206.9633.72.52.4

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF02
162.305176.489178.959-0.110.31.4

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH3
121.822122.361124.7384.22.41.9

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAA
121.984118.008116.236-2.3-4.7-1.5

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT
199.317199.860199.557-2.60.1-0.2

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT1
193.363193.422194.078-1.60.40.3

New and used motor vehicles(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA
99.42799.68498.9223.6-0.5-0.8

New vehicles

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA01
143.979144.085145.7502.11.21.2

New cars and trucks(2)(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS4501A
99.80399.839100.9982.11.21.2

New cars(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS45011
134.103134.498135.7382.91.20.9

Used cars and trucks

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA02
161.126159.067157.74610.1-2.1-0.8

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB
190.260187.602194.536-12.82.23.7

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB01
189.295186.622193.555-12.82.33.7

Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47014
185.717182.960190.000-13.32.33.8

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47015
209.248207.237213.683-10.32.13.1

Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47016
206.906204.989210.700-9.81.82.8

Motor vehicle insurance(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETE
584.681592.578594.559-5.51.70.3

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM
547.497546.128544.6950.9-0.5-0.3

Medical care commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM1
386.889382.544381.360-4.1-1.4-0.3

Medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM2
594.428594.004592.5022.0-0.3-0.3

Professional services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEMC
407.269407.942407.4681.90.0-0.1

Recreation(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAR
128.903129.333129.0702.00.1-0.2

Education and communication(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAE
149.003148.692148.5721.3-0.3-0.1

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEEB
1,312.2851,310.2501,310.4541.5-0.10.0

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAG
513.566510.586518.0643.20.91.5

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAC
190.542189.784191.3771.00.40.8

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL11
147.066146.166147.512-1.10.30.9

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL11
184.416182.728183.736-4.9-0.40.6

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAD
103.297103.044104.4503.91.11.4

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAS
352.848353.904353.7151.60.2-0.1

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L2
241.104241.130242.0401.10.40.4

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L5
261.283261.522262.3001.50.40.3

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL1
151.179150.309151.652-0.90.30.9

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAN
228.694227.662229.1580.10.20.7

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL1
189.142187.579188.581-4.2-0.30.5

Services less rent of shelter(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL2RS
349.889351.503351.0561.30.3-0.1

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL5
336.204337.361337.2631.50.30.0

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0E
189.574191.517197.774-5.94.33.3

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0LE
284.489284.498284.6811.90.10.1

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L1E
287.971288.047287.8931.60.0-0.1

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2021