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News Release Information

20-55-KAN
Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

Consumer Price Index, Midwest Region – December 2019

Area prices were unchanged over the past month, up 2.3 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Midwest Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were unchanged in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Food prices were little changed (0.1 percent), while prices for energy increased 0.4 percent. Prices for all items less food and energy were down a slight 0.1 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 2.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.0 percent over the year. Energy prices advanced 5.6 percent, largely the result of higher prices for gasoline. Food prices were up 1.9 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices crept up 0.1 percent for the month of December. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home were little changed (-0.1 percent), and prices for food away from home rose 0.3 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices advanced 1.9 percent. Prices for food at home rose 1.1 percent, and prices for food away from home were 2.8 percent higher than a year ago.

Energy

The energy index increased 0.4 percent over the month led by higher prices for gasoline (0.8 percent). Prices for natural gas service advanced 0.7 percent, but prices for electricity declined 0.6 percent.

Energy prices advanced 5.6 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (14.7 percent). Prices paid for electricity decreased 0.5 percent, and prices for natural gas service declined 8.1 percent over the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy crept down 0.1 percent in December. Lower prices for apparel (-4.0 percent) and medical care services (-0.5 percent) were partially offset by higher prices for shelter (0.4 percent) and new vehicles (0.7 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 2.0 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care services (5.1 percent) and shelter (3.2 percent).

CPI-W 

In December, the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 232.645.  The CPI-W was unchanged in December, and advanced 2.5 percent over the year.

Table A. Midwest region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.6-0.30.30.80.72.20.61.60.20.8

February

0.3-0.50.00.40.22.40.21.70.71.3

March

0.6-0.90.60.50.11.90.21.80.61.7

April

0.1-1.10.40.80.41.80.41.80.31.5

May

0.4-0.80.40.80.01.40.52.30.31.3

June

0.5-0.70.60.80.00.90.22.50.01.2

July

0.0-0.5-0.50.40.01.30.02.40.21.5

August

0.0-0.30.10.60.31.50.02.10.01.5

September

-0.3-0.80.21.10.31.50.11.90.01.4

October

-0.1-0.3-0.11.0-0.21.50.12.20.21.5

November

-0.5-0.2-0.31.20.21.9-0.61.4-0.21.9

December

-0.60.00.11.8-0.21.7-0.41.30.02.3

The January 2020 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region is scheduled to be released on February 13, 2020.


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure 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 population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total 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 (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.

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 Midwest region is comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

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, Midwest Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
Oct.
2019
Nov.
2019
Dec.
2019
Dec.
2018
Oct.
2019
Nov.
2019

All items

239.243238.850238.7342.3-0.20.0

All items (December 1977 = 100)

389.262388.623388.433   

Food and beverages

248.488248.594248.8021.80.10.1

Food

247.914248.037248.2231.90.10.1

Food at home

227.603227.343227.0741.1-0.2-0.1

Cereals and bakery products

257.550257.379255.745-0.2-0.7-0.6

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

247.329247.506250.0393.51.11.0

Dairy and related products

197.387199.956200.6904.61.70.4

Fruits and vegetables

269.741267.102266.927-1.5-1.0-0.1

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

163.292163.499163.1991.5-0.1-0.2

Other food at home

199.352198.624196.6590.3-1.4-1.0

Food away from home

281.449282.151283.0252.80.60.3

Alcoholic beverages

254.243254.112254.6060.50.10.2

Housing

234.522234.223234.8892.30.20.3

Shelter

281.992281.961283.1843.20.40.4

Rent of primary residence(1)

281.400282.272283.5083.10.70.4

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)

287.080287.810288.7943.10.60.3

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)

287.017287.753288.7323.10.60.3

Fuels and utilities

219.584218.851218.912-1.7-0.30.0

Household energy

176.264175.396175.374-2.8-0.50.0

Energy services(1)

182.938181.746181.397-3.1-0.8-0.2

Electricity(1)

201.494197.018195.839-0.5-2.8-0.6

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

141.429145.580146.584-8.13.60.7

Household furnishings and operations

116.537115.714115.1640.8-1.2-0.5

Apparel

120.115116.404111.711-1.4-7.0-4.0

Transportation

202.633201.087200.9683.1-0.8-0.1

Private transportation

197.746196.275196.6133.2-0.60.2

New and used motor vehicles(3)

96.73996.75796.680-0.8-0.1-0.1

New vehicles

135.844137.122138.0991.01.70.7

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

96.04896.93997.6341.01.70.7

New cars(4)

132.311133.498134.6000.61.70.8

Used cars and trucks

137.544136.124135.959-0.6-1.2-0.1

Motor fuel

231.591225.226226.93214.3-2.00.8

Gasoline (all types)

230.121223.631225.33014.7-2.10.8

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

223.747217.335219.04115.0-2.10.8

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

268.140261.727262.62215.0-2.10.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

256.188249.865251.56611.2-1.80.7

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

743.115740.197738.7410.0-0.6-0.2

Medical care

508.101507.577505.4933.6-0.5-0.4

Medical care commodities

389.667387.962387.320-2.0-0.6-0.2

Medical care services

547.856547.734545.1615.1-0.5-0.5

Professional services

421.441422.292422.6281.40.30.1

Recreation(3)

121.512122.834123.0282.01.20.2

Education and communication(3)

137.766138.572138.5500.80.60.0

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)

1,206.3451,203.7351,198.3880.1-0.7-0.4

Other goods and services

439.682441.087439.8942.40.0-0.3

Commodity and service group

Commodities

180.109179.046178.6972.0-0.8-0.2

Commodities less food and beverages

147.244145.789145.2462.2-1.4-0.4

Nondurables less food and beverages

196.026192.755191.4773.9-2.3-0.7

Durables

101.160101.082101.0940.0-0.10.0

Services

300.279300.597300.7272.40.10.0

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

226.309225.788225.2071.9-0.5-0.3

All items less medical care

226.514226.127226.1042.1-0.20.0

Commodities less food

150.562149.133148.6142.1-1.3-0.3

Nondurables

221.902220.187219.5942.8-1.0-0.3

Nondurables less food

199.097196.005194.8273.7-2.1-0.6

Services less rent of shelter(2)

329.041329.750328.6661.6-0.1-0.3

Services less medical care services

281.810282.161282.4942.00.20.1

Energy

201.417197.989198.7735.6-1.30.4

All items less energy

245.960245.871245.6612.0-0.1-0.1

All items less food and energy

246.337246.210245.9302.0-0.2-0.1

Footnotes
(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.

Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2020